Vietnamese-American Artists

Official website:  Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association (VAALA)

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The Vietnamese American Arts & Letters Association is a non-profit organization, founded in 1991.  The image credit is an announcement for a free and open art exhibit which was held March 17th through April 1st, 2012 at the VAALA Cultural Center in Santa Ana, CA. The exhibit's theme was "Cycles of Life" and featured fine art by artists of Vietnamese descent from multiple generations, many of whom are here in America as a result of the Vietnamese diaspora.

Some of the past events presented or co-sponsored by VAALA included:

• "ON BEING HUMAN: LOVE, FAITH, SHAME, AND HOPE" which displayed cultural art by renowned contemporary artists representing five continents.

• Thang Dao's Quiet Imprint; a ballet funded by the Princess Grace Foundation and presented by the Thang Dao Dance Company (TDDC) in collaboration with Ballet Austin.

• Annual Autumn Moon Festival Children's Art Contest - a festival wholly dedicated to children, encouraging them to celebrate tradition and expand and enhance their creativity and talents.

• "I HAVE THE RIGHT" - This exhibit featured the work of about 100 artists and served as a primary vehicle to introduce the world to (the late) You Khin, a Cambodian artist whose artwork captured the destruction of his beloved homeland at the hands of the Khmer Rouge and its subsequent rebirth.

* Contact VAALA if interested in any of the pieces displayed by way of this article.

(Intro Image Credit:  Official VAALA logo.)

Mr. Tran's grandparents emigrated from China to Vietnam during WWII, and though they translated their name from Chinese to Vietnamese and tried to assimilate, they were still thought of as Chinese. Upon immigrating to the United States, because he spoke Vietnamese and had a Vietnamese name, he became identified by the Americans as Vietnamese. Tran says he is a Chinese Vietnamese American and his art incorporates all three cultures and the dichotomy between East and West.

Several of his paintings, like "Coast" (also called "Coastal Sensation #2") pictured above, struck me as telling a real genuine story of human experience and the depth of his emotions; a memory of beauty and sorrow.

Regards "Orange Children":  This piece of work grabbed me right away. I immediately thought of the horrific impact of the U.S. military's decision to use "Agent Orange". In my mind, there is no "art of war" but there is art that can reflect the horrors of war.

What do David Foster and Prince have in common? They both have an eye for awesome talent. So someone should introduce them to Giana Nguyen.  This newbie independent artist is a California-based singer/songwriter who collaborates with established pop artists in the Vietnamese-American music scene.  She has been characterized as "Orange County's Hidden Gem".  

A note of thanks to Ms. Giana Nguyen, VAALA Board Member for assisting with obtaining proper permissions and approval to display these fabulous works of art and introduce others to this non-profit organization.