100 Views of Saigon | 100 Góc Phố Sài Gòn
I first arrived in Saigon during Tết Lunar New Year of 2019. It was a new adventure for me, not knowing what to expect for the next few years of my life moving here. After a week, I’d say I fell in love, and maybe I still am, fast forward to more than two years - especially now that I have just finished 100 Views of Saigon.
This project has been a journey in many ways as it takes after my previous series of 100 Views of Manila. I wasn’t actually planning to work on it as I had initially planned for other projects to work on. But after friends encouraging me, and not knowing much about the city or Vietnam except for typical touristy information and the misconceptions about it, I sought for a way to discover about Saigon and look at it in detail, in a different perspective, drawing and painting it not only on canvas, but also in my heart and memory.
Same as how I wanted to capture Manila, I would like people to see Saigon, through this project, with fresh eyes. I would like to share a whole new feeling for those who currently live here, those who have, and those who have never been - Saigon is more than just its misconceptions and its tragedies in the past, like a lotus, it blooms in this place of many dreams that thrive and grow so progressively. It’s not perfect, as with any other place, but that’s also what makes it a place that so many people love so much.
The hardest part of this project was choosing which views to put in, because for sure, there are more than a hundred views to capture the different moods and feelings of Saigon. So this is not a definitive list, but more of what I felt was memorable for me during the time I’m working on it, a starting point, a guide to people who may want to make their own 100 views, or even more!
To capture the mood, the feeling, the essence of a place as a foreigner, I was initially scared as I felt that I may not be able to do it properly, yet I still proceeded. I’ve met so many people that inspired me and made so many friends, all thanks to this project. Saigon, and Vietnam as a whole, has given me so much, and I am forever grateful for all your support to follow me this far.
When we go out, let’s look at Saigon, or even wherever we may be in the world, with fresh eyes and excitement, to look forward to experience something new even if it’s a place we’ve been to so many times.
February 2020 - June 2021
Follow on Instagram @cafedandy with #100ViewsofSaigon #100_GócPhốSàiGòn
This project has been first featured on RGB.vn, one of Vietnam's top creative communities.
Since its completion, it has then been featured on various online news and sites in Vietnam:
And a new interview feature once more for RGB.vn on its completion.
Special thanks
Yen Dang for the Vietnamese title, "100 Góc Phố Sài Gòn"
The RGB Team: Nguyen Trung Kien and Lam Tran with Oph Hirunvong
and for everyone who has been and will be part of this project, you know who you are!
