AR TIS T


hroughout history many great artists have been known for their struggle. They have suffered persecution and have sacrificed in order to further their talent. Tuan is one of these great artists. Born in Vietnam in 1963 to a family of wealth and privilege, Tuan learned first hand about the struggle an artist must endure. After the fall of Saigon in 1975, Tuan's life took a turn for the worst — affluence had turned to poverty, privilege to oppression, and happiness to sadness. Yearning for artistic freedom, Tuan’s first attempt to escape the Communist regime failed, during which he witnessed the death of his close friend, and was cast into a concentration camp. Tuan’s artistic spirit was not broken. In fact, by utilizing his skills as a sculptor and the clay from his cell floor, he was able to sculpt the likenesses of his captors, gaining their favor and expediting his release. Tuan eventually escaped to the United States in 1989, where he embarked on a career as a sculptor with renewed energy and passion. Tuan received his Fine Arts degree from the Art Institute of Southern California in Laguna Beach, California, and in 1994 he was awarded the prestigious Gloria Medal from the National Sculpture Society (New York), a medal bestowed upon a young artist for a meritorious body of work. Later, in 2006, Tuan received the coveted Gold Medal for Sculpture from the California Art Club for Rendezvous. Tuan’s work is exhibited in fine art galleries throughout the United States, as far away as London, England, and in such notable permanent collections as the Pasadena Museum of Art, the MOCA, and the White House in Washington, D.C.


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His commissioned works and installations include: The Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster, California, commemorating the partnership between American and


6 OFF THE EASEL MAGAZINE – WINTER 2015


FEA TURE Tuan


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