ART SG

Tuan Vu

Tuan Vu was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and is currently based in Quebec. A self-taught artist, Vu's creative practice spans drawing, painting, and photography, with a particular emphasis on exploring colour to convey emotions and narratives. His work often features women within vibrant tropical landscapes, drawing inspiration from the Parisian artist group Les Nabis as well as the flattened planes of traditional woodblock Japanese prints. Vu employs a unique process of layering colour directly on canvas, creating dreamlike compositions filled with rich textures and intriguing patterns. His art invites viewers into mystical worlds where beauty and imperfection coexist, aiming to evoke joy and a sense of peace amid life’s challenges.

Solo exhibitions include (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, Florida (2025); (Upcoming) Art Singapore, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Singapore (2025); Elysium, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2024); Imaginary Gardens – Duran Mashaal Gallery, Montreal, Canada; Solstice Haze, Simard Bilodeau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US (2023); Hedonistic Drams – Painting, Institut National Art Contemporain Montreal, Canada; Endless Sumer – LivART, Montreal, Canada; Beach Life – Luz Gallery (Belgo Building), Montreal, Canada; Brume, Galerie Luz Édifice Belgo, Montreal, Canada (2018); Haiti Support Auction, Montreal, Canada (2010).

Group exhibitions include (Upcoming) Bunker Artspace, Palm Beach, Florida, US (2025); The Armory Show, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, New York, USA (2024); Echoes of the Unseen – Gallery Reveal, Bordeaux, France; Toi, moi, nous – Simard Bilodeau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, United States; Artist collaboration with Claudia Chan Tak-Painting on Dress, Montreal, QC, Canada; Art SG – Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Singapore, Singapore; Plural – Duran Mashaal Gallery, Montreal. QC, Canada; CAN Art Fair – Duran Mashaal, NYC, United States; Wild Ones, Simard Bilodeau Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, US; Arrival, Duran Mashaal Gallery, Montreal, QC, Canada; V.I.D.E, Agrégat Université de Sherbrooke à Longueuil, Longueuil, QC, Canada (2023); Imagination, Cache Studio, Montreal, QC, Canada (2023); Sundaze, Wishbone Gallery, Montreal, QC, Canada (2023); Arrival, Duran Mashaal Gallery, Montreal, QC, Canada (2023); Where the Wild Roses Grow, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Berlin, Germany (2023); Les cahiers, Maison de culture Monk, Montreal, QC, Canada (2023); ART TORONTO, Duran Mashaal, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada (2023); FOCUS NYC, Chelsea Industrial, New York, US (2023); Fomat à importer, Galerie Institut National Art Contemporain gallery, Montreal, Canada (2022); Carrousel du Louvre, FOCUS ART FAIR (BOOM), Paris, France (2022); Paintings, drawings and photo, Montréal en Arts, Rue Sainte-Catherine, Montreal, Canada (2021); Beach Life, Galerie Luz, Montreal, Canada (2019); Pluriel au singulier at the Galerie GOT, Montreal, Canada (2016).

Highlights and Collections

Tuan Vu's work can be found in private and public collections globally including Bunker Artspace Museum, West Palm Beach, FL, Holbar Collection, United Kingdom, VAC (Vietnam Art Collection), Vietnam and Fidelity Investments, Boston, Massachusetts. In 2021, Vu was named artist of the month at YES Montreal and gave an interview to LeZarts on MATV as a guest artist, additionally he received a Merit for his participation in the Luxembourg Art Prize (2021 and 2022). In 2022, he was a guest artist for the conference on photography and painting at Women's Art Society Montreal (WASM). Furthermore, he was selected among the finalist artists for the 30th-anniversary edition of the London-based magazine ArtMaze (2022) and Friends of Artists (FOA),(2023).

ART SG

Born in Vietnam and currently based in Quebec, Tuan Vu’s work weaves together a wide range of influences: from the tropical landscapes of his home country to the sun-bleached palette of the South of France, from the bold experimental paintings of the Nabis to the broad, flattened planes of woodblock Japanese prints. His latest paintings draw us into ornate, magical spaces where women dressed in kimonos gather or enjoy moments of solitude. While Vu sees his art as a celebration of beauty and harmony, it also engages with social and cultural issues, particularly focusing on the restrictions placed on women. This is evident in works like Whisper of Scandal, which explores varying cultural attitudes towards nudity and the female body, as well as in paintings that feature masks. Inspired by James Ensor and traditional Vietnamese theatre, these masks allude to the different social roles women are required to play. Meanwhile, the patterning, colour and style of the kimonos in his works reflect the Japanese tradition of inferring a woman’s social and marital status, as well as her age and the occasion. Within these contexts, Vu’s lush landscapes become not only dreamscapes but also spaces for community and free expression.

Viewing Room

Please provide your contact information to view this page.

Email address *

By submitting this form you will be added to our mailing list.

Enter

Back to homepage

* denotes required fields

We will process the personal data you have supplied in accordance with our privacy policy (available on request). You can unsubscribe or change your preferences at any time by clicking the link in our emails.

ART SG: Tuan Vu

Tuan Vu

ART SG

Enquiry

Cookie preferences

Viewing Room

Please check your email