Self-taught Vietnamese artist Tuan Vu presents his solo exhibition "Annam" at Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery in Berlin, featuring paintings that blend memory, imagination, and history. The show includes works such as *Tranquil South* (2026), *A Usual Day* (2026), and *The Official Portrait* (2026), which explore Vu's childhood recollections of Vietnam and the country's colonial past. Vu, who relocated from Ho Chi Minh City to Quebec, Canada, for his studies and now resides there, uses the exhibition's title to reference the term used for Vietnam during Chinese and French colonial periods, highlighting the distance and interpretive nature of memory.
The exhibition matters because it showcases how a diaspora artist navigates the complexities of cultural identity and historical trauma through painting. Vu's work synthesizes Western and Eastern visual traditions, drawing inspiration from figures like Mai Trung Thu and movements such as Les Nabis and Neoclassicism, while addressing the gaps between memory, imagination, and reality. By centering figuration for the first time in his practice, "Annam" marks a significant evolution in Vu's artistic journey and contributes to broader conversations about postcolonial art and the Vietnamese diaspora experience.