The work of Vietnamese sculptor Tuan radiates, peacefulness, and serenity through graceful lines and rhythmic compositions. While glorifying the human body, he at the same time glorifies the human spirit exulting the exhilarating experience of life. Tuan captures in his sculptures a celestial beauty that carries his human figures beyond earthly existence and into the realm of the heavenly.

The serenity and celebration reflected in his work is in striking contrast to his own past. Born in Vietnam in 1963 to an artistic family, Tuan began sculpting at an early age. He experienced the fall of Saigon in 1975. He was captured and held in reeducation camp after surviving a failed escape from his native land in 1987. Eventually he escaped to the United States in 1988.

Tuan’s grandfather, Hoang Buu, a fourth generation descendent of King Gia Long, lived in the region when it was French Indochina. He read and spoke French and consequently Tuan’s family was heavily influenced by European traditions. In contrast to the Vietnamese tradition of creating art for the sake of religion and temple, Tuan was driven to create art for his own expressive purposes. He emphasizes, “art is for humanity, for people, for everyone. I create universal art everyone can understand.“

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, Tuan received the coveted Gold Medal for Sculpture from the California Art Club for “Rendezvous”. Tuan’s work can be found on exhibit in fine art galleries throughout the United States and as far away as London, England, and in such notable permanent collections as the Pasadena Museum of Art, the MOCA Museum and the White House in Washington, D.C.

His commissioned works and installations include: The Vietnam War Memorial in Westminster, California, commemorating the partnership between American and Vietnamese soldiers during the Vietnam War. The Kuhn Corporation’s Plaza in Orlando, Florida; where the complete series of Tuan’s heroics are featured. The Island of Trinidad, Heisler Park in Laguna Beach, California where Tuan’s heroic “Rendezvous” now overlooks the ocean, and in Mobile, Alabama where larger-than-life tribute to Saint Therese “the little flower” was dedicated in 2008. With the value of freedom constantly on his mind, another Tuan project is the creation of a Vietnamese Refugee Memorial intended to instill an appreciation of freedom in the hearts of future generations.