For the Love of Hoi An

Artist Thai Tuan Hoang, 55 years old, of Fu-Chian origin, has been living in Ho Chi Minh city (Sai Gon) for the last 22 years. However, his works still  reflect his inner Hoi An spirit and his love for the small ancient town famous for its artistic atmosphere and a history of prosperity and grandeur. 

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Can you tell us more about your artistic journey

I am a self-taught artist. Though I didn’t begin my career with conventional formal education, I have been practicing it for many years.  At first, I started by doing some decoration when I worked in a Cultural Center. After a while I was attracted to art and set out to enrich my knowledge about this world. I am now a full time artist and spend most of my time painting and taking care of Patio, my gallery in Hoi An.

How would you describe your painting style?

Some people may say that my style is realism, but I recognize that my approach to subjects is classic, sometimes figurative. A baby cot may represent childhood, hovering paper cranes being the baby's dreams.... I don’t go with the market-oriented trend, mainly because I think that painting should be the aim in and of itself, not for profit. So I tend to paint only things that I really feel inspired by. My greatest inspiration has always been Hoi An, my hometown. I also find much inspiration from Tay Nguyen (a mountainous area in Vietnam). Those are the lands I feel very emotionally attached to.  

Hanoi gives you renew enthusiasm for each artwork, what is so special about Hoi An?

Its classic air conveys to me a sense of great nostalgia, about a period where the commerce ports were exciting and lively, about the lives of our ancestors, and about the traditions that are still preserv. In them I see my childhood and the town’s long lost past. Those feelings and my bond with this land is the inception of the artistic creativity. I draw every little thing about Hoi An that I feel beautiful and endearing. It can be the rooftop, the corner of the backyard or even a kitten stretching under the sun…My theme may not be new but my feelings are renewed each time.  

You have a fine arts gallery in Hoi An. Can you tell us more about it? Where did you get the idea for the gallery?

I have one gallery in Hoi An which I devote much of my time to. It is named Patio, meaning “in-house yard”. This name reflects the unique architecture of Hoi An, with the tube-shaped antique houses having a small in-house yard, complete with a path leading to the riverside. I invest most of my time to the gallery these days.

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Some facts about Hoi An:

One of Vietnam’s most loved tourist destinations, Hoi An is an ancient town (originally known as Faifo) in the middle part of Vietnam, once a busy trading port in the Orient. Through ups and downs of times, the ancient town, once forgotten in the chaotic wars, has revived from the ravages and become more and more loved for its graceful beauty and classic charms, with a blend of Vietnamese, Chinese and Japanese architecture carefully kept alive through several restorations. Hoi An is the inspiration for many artists.

Some facts about Colorist Thai Tuan Hoang:

Member of Fine Arts Association HCMC and Fine Arts Association Vietnam

In 1993, He held a solo exhibition themed “Hoi An the ancient town”

In 2008, his work “Hoi An childhood memory” got a prize at the Regional Exhibition VI (13^th – HCMC)

To date, he has participated in various group exhibitions