In love with Vietnam

A British artist portrays Vietnamese culture

Born in London, the other side of the world, Simon Redington chose Hanoi to be the destination for his artistic life. His paintings have helped introduce Vietnamese culture to many countries where his work has been exhibited.
Simon Redington is a member of the Royal Society of Painter/Printmakers and holds a BA in fine Art at Goldsmiths University, a Master of Art Therapy from Hertfordshire University of Fine Arts and a Master of Advanced Graphics from Central St. Martins University of Fine Arts, London. The combined knowledge of the two disciplines of art and psychology have been essential in creating a strong foundation for his artistic practice.

Simon's bold and expressive work is created using a variety of different mediums, painting, drawing, printing and collage to name a few. Many images, depicting Vietnamese daily life and people, have been on display at prestigious museums and public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, the London Museum, the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford University, the Art Institute of Chicago, Brown University, the Yale Center for British Art, Harvard University, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, the New York Public Library and Stanford University.



Simon Redington chose Hanoi to be the destination for his artistic life. 


Simon Redington introduces the etched print work in his exhibition.


Hanoi is a inspiration for Simon's works. 


A corner of the exhibition named "Noise".


The exhibition named "Noise" attracts a numerous of visitors. 

Simon’s story of falling in love with Vietnam and choosing Hanoi as a base for his life is an interesting one. In 1997, Simon made plans to go to Southeast Asia, arriving in Singapore and travelling through Thailand. Finally landing in Hanoi on a bleak, rainy day in March, he instantly felt an unexplainable attraction. Initially, Simon lived on Hang Quat Street and devoted his time searching for the creative life of the city. Here, he met painter Le Quang Ha and other Vietnamese artists, with whom he developed close friendships which have kept him living in Vietnam for more than 20 years. Simon and Le Quang Ha eventually opened a painting and printing studio together. 

NOISE is a solo exhibition of recent paintings by Simon Redington. Simon Redington’s work over the last twenty years has had a continuous and compulsive thread and this exhibition reflects further on his often dark and enduringly ironic vision of the world.
According to Simon, mark-making images are produced by everyone, beginning at an early age of childhood, however as an artist, creativity transcends into a way of  personally expressing a perception of life. The works of Simon Redington over the past twenty years are full of spontaneity hence the recent exhibition entitled "Noise" which presents a perspective of social life in a dynamically changing world.

Simon has recently completed a folio of more than 25 etched prints with the emblematic title ‘Hanoi Thunder’ a poetic journey through a mythic, nostalgia of the ancient oriental city, It is on permanent exhibition in his home town of London but he is developing plans to exhibit this collection in other places around the world.

In addition to his studio in Hanoi, the artist also has a printing studio in France. He would eventually like to take some of his Vietnamese artist friends to work and exhibit there, introducing their work to the European public. A way of showing gratitude to the people who have helped him realize his dream in the exotic East
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The work "Who's prophet" by Simon Redington.


"Dancing on the rubble" (Oil painting on canvas).


"New beautiful day" (Oil painting on canvas).


"Under the blood red moon". 


"Subvert".


"Dancing shadows".


The work " Bring on the dancing girl". 
 
 Story: Bich Van - Photos: Cong Dat & Thanh Giang

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