New book provides a rich record of Vietnam’s visual art history

Key Points

Kerry Nguyen-Long’s extraordinary journey began in Tasmania, Australia, where she pursued studies in ancient civilisations and English literature.
Her contributions as a catalogue author and her co-authored books on Vietnamese ceramics highlight her deep commitment to preserving and sharing the cultural heritage of Vietnam.
Her latest book encapsulates the essence of over 3,000 years of Vietnamese history and art.

Kerry Nguyen-Long, a seasoned author and scholar, has embarked on a remarkable journey through the ‘vibrant tapestry’ that is Vietnam’s visual arts.

Her latest book, a testament to her deep-seated passion for the subject, offers a unique perspective that reflects her rich history and extensive experience.

Kerry Nguyen-Long’s book ‘Vietnam Visual Arts in History Religion & Culture’. Credit: Kerry Nguyen-Long

‘A remarkable journey begins’

Ms Nguyen-Long’s journey in the realm of Vietnam’s visual arts started far away from the country that would later become her muse.

Born in Tasmania, she said her academic pursuits led her on an unconventional path towards a lifelong connection with Vietnam.

Her secondary education at St Mary’s College, Hobart, was the first stepping stone in her academic journey, she said.

A recipient of the prestigious Commonwealth Scholarship and the EZ Harry Hay Scholarship, she attended the University of Tasmania, where her studies in ancient civilisations and English literature set the stage for a lifelong commitment to the arts.

How extraordinary! Thanks to Kerry Nguyen-Long, we can hold a museum in our hands. We can gasp at the stunning weight encapsulated in 3000 years of Vietnamese art.

Lady Borton, American Quaker, author, historian, translator

It was during her university years that she met and married Nguyen Kim Long, a fellow student who was from Vietnam and had received a Colombo Plan scholarship.

This serendipitous encounter marked the beginning of Ms Nguyen-Long’s profound engagement with Vietnam, a country with a rich cultural heritage that would soon become the focus of her academic pursuits.

Kerry Nguyen-Long (L) with her husband, Nguyen Kim Long. Credit: Kerry Nguyen-Long

Life’s adventures

The young family travelled from Tasmania to Canberra, and then to Papua New Guinea, where Ms Nguyen-Long taught at St Joseph’s Catholic School.

She said an important milestone in her life was being present to celebrate Papua New Guinea’s Independence Day on September 16, 1975. With four young children in tow, the couple later moved to The Philippines, where they spent the next two decades.

Ms Nguyen-Long’s passion for the arts found expression in her work as a catalogue author, and she also underwent an intensive course in Philippine history.

Notably, she served as a guide at the Ayala Museum in Makati, contributing to the enrichment of her knowledge about the arts and culture of south-east Asia.

As a member of the Oriental Ceramic Society of The Philippines, she said she delved into the study of Vietnamese ceramics exported to The Philippines during the 14th and 15th centuries.

The launch of Kerry Nguyen-Long’s book entitled ‘Vietnam Visual Arts in History Religion & Culture’. Credit: Kerry Nguyen-Long

Quaker author and journalist, Lady Borton, said of Ms Nguyen-Long’s book, “The pages echo with the sorrow of treasure lost to internecine dynastic struggles, while the images delight with the precious works that survive.”

“By capturing 3000 years of Vietnamese history, religion, and art – a feat accomplished by no other book – ‘Vietnam Visual Arts in History Religion & Culture’ belongs on the bookshelves of scholars, art lovers, and libraries worldwide.”

1000 years of stoneware jars

Ms Nguyen-Long’s tireless studies of stoneware jars at the National Museum of The Philippines culminated in her co-authoring a book entitled ‘A Thousand Years of Stoneware Jars in the Philippines’, published in 1992.

The book was a collaborative effort that drew on the passion of many collectors across the archipelago. Ms Nguyen-Long’s cataloguing of the 150 jars selected for publication became a key feature in the book’s section entitled ‘Typology and Classification’.

In 1986, Vietnam’s reform policy, known as đổi mới (renovation), was implemented. This policy provided an opportunity for Ms Nguyen-Long and her family to make deeper connections with Vietnamese professionals in the arts, further fuelling her curiosity and passion for the country’s culture.

She contributed a short essay to the book ‘Bát Tràng Ceramics 14th-19th Centuries’ and, several years later, co-authored ‘Vietnamese Blue and White Ceramics’. Her husband played an instrumental role in translating these bilingual books, as well as other museum catalogues, enriching her research.

A journey to Vietnam

In the early 1990s and driven by her passion for Vietnam, Ms Nguyen-Long relocated to the country to pursue language studies, a testament to her dedication to understanding the culture she had grown to love.

This is an impressive book … Books such as this one can refresh our fields. All will be well rewarded by their acquaintance with this attractive and informative book.

Professor Harry Aveling, Intercultural Lab, Monash University

Her unique perspective on visual arts extends beyond museums and ceramics. Her mother’s interests sparked her passion for gardening, and this love for nature was further nurtured by the stunning gardens she encountered in The Philippines and her native Australia.

In 2018, her interest in gardens culminated in her writing an illustrated article entitled ‘Vietnam Ceramics in Garden Culture’, published in the international magazine ‘Arts of Asia’.

‘Vietnam Visual Arts in History Religion & Culture’ was launched at an event hosted by Contemporary Art and Social Transformation. Credit: Kerry Nguyen-Long

Source link