Artists life

DJ Florian Picasso, an adopted great-grandson of Spanish painting legend Pablo Picasso, played EDM while painter Cyril Kongo created eight graffiti works that will be auctioned for charity. This was the first time both artists of Vietnamese origin were collaborating on a project. The 90-minute event was live-streamed on both artists’ social media accounts last weekend. Cyril Kongo paints Florian Picasso on a graffiti work. Florian was born in 1990 in Ho Chi Minh City and adopted when he was three months old. Although he has grown up in France surrounded by European art, "I was and will always be a kid from Saigon until the day I die," said Florian. Cyril Kongo, whose real name is Cyril Phan, was born in 1969 in Toulouse, France, to a Vietnamese father and French mother. He started his graffiti career as a freelance artist at 18. Within a decade, he became known in the street art community for his drawing … [Read more...] about French Vietnamese artists blend graffiti and music to help orphans

The French Institute in HCM City will host a series of activities to celebrate International Women’s Day, held at the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) on March 8. Photo from the organiser’s Facebook event page HCM CITY The French Institute in HCM City will host a series of activities to celebrate International Women’s Day held at the Institute of Cultural Exchange with France (IDECAF) on March 8. The celebration will open with a photo exhibition featuring portraits of Vietnamese women taken by 15 young artists who participated in a photography workshop hosted by the French Institute in Huế and Đà Nẵng in January. The photos can be seen until April 9. A talk show about gender equality will be organised featuring speakers of Julia Levivier, head of the French NGO organisation Planète Enfants & Développement (PE&D) in Việt Nam, psychologist Lý Thị Mai, and Lê Thị Hồng Ánh, head of Human Resources of Sanofi Vietnam. The show will be hosted by Trần Anh … [Read more...] about Celebration of International Women’s Day at IDECAF

A 27-year-old Vietnamese comic series based loosely on the popular 'Voltron' animated series of the 1980s is getting republished in Vietnam, stirring up excitement among a generation of readers while prompting worries about copyright infringement. Dung si Hesman (Hero Hesman) was a 160-volume comic series by ‘adaption arist’ Hung Lan. It was published for the first time in Vietnam in 1992. The sci-fi adventure superhero comic follows the protagonist, Hesman the robot, as he battles evil forces in the galaxy in a fictional future set in the 23rd century. It was a huge hit among Vietnamese children and youth at a time when entertainment options were scarce in the absence of computer games and the Internet, with its circulation reaching 160,000 copies per volume at times. Many Vietnamese millennials recall queuing up and fighting with other kids at local bookstores to rent the newest volumes of Dung si Hesman when they first got out. Collecting spin-off items were also … [Read more...] about ‘Voltron’ spin-off comic brings back nostalgic memories, causes copyright concerns in Vietnam

The Hanoitimes - Located in Hanoi's Old Quarter area, Ma May Street is unique as it is home to many of the city’s oldest houses. The house at No.87 Ma May Street (Hoan Kiem District) is one of 14 ancient houses in Hanoi built in the late 19th century that still retains its original features and becomes a familiar address for those who want to learn about the daily life of Hanoians in the old time. The 87 Ma May ancient house is a shouldn't-be-missed site seeing for visitors to Hanoi. Photo courtesy by 87 Ma May Ancient House. A walk around the Old Quarter is a must for both tourists and local people to explore Hanoi. Located in the area, Ma May Street is unique as it is home to many of the city’s oldest houses. Visiting the street, you can see the culture and architecture of Hanoi in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, especially through the house at No.87 which has been kept intact. Right after passing the old wooden door, you step … [Read more...] about Ma May ancient house: where Vietnamese home is kept