Nguyễn Anh Tú, known by his pen name Tú Na, likes to draw characters and make up stories. He graduated from the Hanoi University of Industrial Art, and has been drawing for over a decade. In 2020, Tú Na started a project called "#Hanoipunk" and has been building up the fantastical collection over time.
"#Hanoipunk" follows the stories of Thanh Quan, who can make robots with her magic pen, and Xuân Hương, who used that pen to draw a walking bird that carries boxes of Hảo Hảo noodles. Bizarre and fantastic as it is, Tú Na said "#Hanoipunk" simply tells stories about his own experiences in life.
"Her name is Thanh Quan. She likes drawing. She has a magic pen. When she draws, everything unreal will become real. To control her power, she stopped drawing the eyes of things in her picture."
Each illustration in the album has a caption that tell the story. The fusion of Vietnamese culture and steampunk presents an ingenious blend between the old and new, bringing us to a land so strange yet so familiar with our ordinary life.
"After mastering her crafts, Thanh Quan bid farewell to everyone in the village and set off for Hanoi. Once there, she sought out a tailor shop to embroider a lotus on her yếm."
"Unfortunately, after completing her work, Thanh Quan realized that she had lost the magic pen and paper somewhere. She tried looking around and asking people to no avail. Luckily, a hawker selling bánh mì told her that he saw a little girl picking them up and running off to a nearby street."
"Thanh Quan finally managed to locate the girl who took her magic pen. She wasn't exactly hard to find. However, when the girl was messing around with the pen, she happened to discover its magical properties and used the newly formed creature to carry boxes of instant noodles for her. She agreed to give Thanh Quan her pen back on the condition that she is given lots and lots of food in return. Her name is Xuân Hương."
"She hangs out every day near by the beach
Havin’ a Heineken fallin’ asleep
She looks so sexy when she’s walking the sand
Nobody ever put a ring on her hand."
Train, Candy, Love.
"Thanh Quan considers Don Quixote to be the greatest novel of all time. She believes that until now, there are still people like Don Quixote. What a beautiful protagonist."
"Soon enough, Thanh Quan finds herself bored with the scenery surrounding her. She ponders finding something new."
Thanh Quan couldn't wait any longer, she planned to embark on a new journey. It's a big plan.
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