N Tuan

The early years for Tuan were carefree, surrounded by family and friends and insolated from the war that raged in the countryside. Life was good, up until the fall of Saigon on April 30th, 1975. Overnight, Tuan’s life was turned upside-down; oppression gripped the country and freedom and privilege became relics of the past.

Tuan’s father, a well known and respected architect, was taken away to be “re-educated”, the family compound was divided up and life became harsh and restrictive. The whole of South Vietnam changed from a country fighting to retain its freedom to one unified under the oppression of Communist rule.

In a way, the return of Tuan’s father from the re-education camp began shaping Tuan into the man we know today. Having refused to work for the Communists, Tuan’s father turned to his love of sculpting to help maintain his sanity and at his side was his son Tuan. Day after day they sculpted together, the mentor and his student, and even though they did not always agree on style and composition, Tuan began to learn the skills that were to lead him to his destiny.

The oppression of the Communist régime created an overwhelming desire within the young Tuan to regain his freedom, eventually leading him to a near-fat...

Art Institute of Southern California