BackArts & Culture » Music & Art » All In: Vietnamese Artists Put A Beautiful Twist On Playing Cards

All In: Vietnamese Artists Put A Beautiful Twist On Playing Cards

With an obsession for peace signs, adoration for the hippie lifestyle and an open mind, two young artists, Đinh Công Thành and Ngô Đình Lệ Thuỷ, have started a creative project called “Bài Ta” (Vietnamese Playing Cards) adding traditional elements of Vietnamese culture to a deck of playing cards.

At a recent Art Talk, the pair told the audience that after meeting, they became good friends due to their common perceptions of society and art. Wondering why there was no deck of cards designed with Vietnamese culture in mind, “Bài Ta” was born, starting with the notorious King Khải Định who made controversial modifications to the country’s traditional fashion and arts.

Inspired by King Khải Định’s daring alterations, every artwork on the “Bài Ta” cards is a mixture of the traditional and the modern, the local and the international, the detail-oriented hand drawings of Thành and Thuỷ’s colorful digital illustrations.

The variety of styles not only address social and cultural contradictions, but also fuse local, familiar characters, such as the traditional áo dài, the lottery ticket kid, etc., with their international counterparts like Marilyn Monroe, Michael Jackson, respectively.

The artwork is available at Choi Choi Studio – 1st Floor Number 7 Ngô Thời Nhiệm Street, Ward 6, District 3.

Or visit their website and Facebook page to keep an eye on this emerging project.

Related Articles

in Music & Arts

'Yellow Flowers' Becomes Highest-Grossing Vietnamese Drama Ever

Over a month after its debut, Toi Thay Hoa Vang Tren Co Xanh (Yellow Flowers on the Green Grass) – the stunning, state-commissioned film by Vietnamese-American director Victor Vu – continues to rake i...

in Music & Arts

Art Talk: Drawing Workshop With Rodney Dickson

Irish-American painter, Rodney Dickson, developed his work based on the atmosphere of abandonment that characterized the post-war era in Cambodia and Vietnam.

in Music & Arts

Artist Spotlight: Saigon's DAOS501

Saigon-based graffiti artist DAOS501's visceral, introspective artwork explores the animalistic side of humanity in his first solo exhibition, now on display through September 30 at 3A Station's ...

in Music & Arts

Artist Spotlight: Thanh Xinh

With her bubbly personality and welcoming smile, one may assume that Saigon Artbook artist Thanh Xinh's journey as an artist has been nothing but smooth sailing. Like anything that is w...

in Music & Arts

Behind The Cover: Saigon Artbook Edition 5

The next edition of Saigon Artbook is hot off the press and ready for the art-hungry masses. The book will be officially launched this Thursday evening at the 3A Alternative Art Area, but before you a...

in Music & Arts

Drop Everything: Kenny G Is Coming To Hanoi

Smooth jazz enthusiasts may want to take a seat for this thrilling announcement: next month, Kenny G is coming to Hanoi.

Partner Content