Embodied art

Body painting made its first appearance in Vietnam several years ago but it is struggling to find acceptance in what is still a conservative society.
Body painting is one of humanity’s oldest forms of visual expression. From the beginning of time, it has been a part of the rituals marking birth, initiation into adulthood, marriages, and death. Many civilizations have used the human body to express their culture and beliefs.
Formerly, Vietnamese could only see it on the Internet or television at body-painting festivals in other parts of the world.
The art form slipped into the country in the form of face painting at football matches and Halloween and other parties. But now it is gradually finding more acceptance.
The biggest obstacle to body painting in Vietnam is the deep embarrassment people feel at taking off one’s clothes in front of others.
But some brave artists are putting their prestige on the line and trying out this new-fangled art despite having no support or a stage to perform.
One such is 31-year-old Ngo Luc who became famous with installation art shows like Vao cho (In the market) or Ra duong (Out the road).
He became a trailblazer in body painting in Vietnam, even holding two exhibitions together with DJ Vu Nhat Tan and photographer Phan Quang, the first at a small painting studio and the second at La Cantine-On The Six restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City’s District 1 last month.
Luc says unlike foreign artists, he pays no attention to fashion.
“My painting follows a process, from neck down to shoulders, back, buttocks, breasts, and the whole body.
“How can I persuade a woman to strip in front of me without her feeling she is bad? How can I overcome my basic instinct with a naked woman? These are difficulties but worthy enough for me to overcome.”
For body painting, subjects do not need to have perfect figures like those modeling for Victoria’s Secret lingerie or adorning the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit magazine.
“I have to persuade my models to work with me, and they believe I have made them look more attractive. The most important thing is they believe in me, in what we are doing.”
He says he wants to reconfirm the most basic right of human beings – the right to use their own bodies freely.
“Taboos arise when people discriminate against something they do not understand. Body painting is a very common thing, not something esoteric. I want to tell the story of body painting to my people first.
“Earlier, I would always feel lonely when taking part in foreign body-painting festivals – other artists would gather and tell stories about the art in their countries, and I could say nothing.”
But he says things are changing and body painting is gaining acceptance, especially in fields like advertising and photography.
Making it to art class
In recent years, body painting has entered classrooms with students practicing for hours daily at the HCMC Art Association.
Minh Phung, the only body painting and tattoo teacher at the association, says the former truly has a bright future in Vietnam and only needs a clear direction.
“My courses start with three months of basic drawing practice, then four to six months to perfect their skill. The hardest aspects of body painting are matching the body’s most beautiful places with the right colors.”
She refers to waists, breasts, thighs, buttocks, and generally places with muscles as the “most beautiful.”
“This art faces many prejudices and so does not have the required climate to grow professionally and there are no exhibitions or festivals for artists to compare notes. But thanks to the youths’ passion, body painting is now being looked at with different eyes.”
The students come from all walks of life and their ages range from 16 to 50. Phung says some of them can choose body painting as a career related to advertising, make-up, or photography. And at just VND5 million (US$271) for a four-month course, it does not cost an arm and a leg to enroll in one.
“Nudity is not a bad thing when it serves art and enriches people’s spiritual life. Now the city
Art Association is considering organizing a body painting festival or contest to offer a stage for Vietnamese body painters and art lovers.”
There was an outcry last July when organizers of nothern Ha Nam Province’s annual Lanh Giang festival included body painting for the first time, showing the art still has a long way to go to overcome its stigma among the wider public.
Speaking about it to The Thao & Van Hoa (Sport and Culture) newspaper, art critic Nguyen Hung said only people who look at body painting and tattooing from a truly artistic perspective understand them as art.
“When the body is used as a vehicle, it can erase people’s complexes about it. I think body-art shows are less sexy or seductive than bikini or lingerie shows.”
Hung said it is necessary to organize body-painting festivals. “Turning it into public art will give Vietnam’s body art a new beginning.”