The Soul of Vietnam: a Portrait of the North
|
©Lawrence D’Attilio
|
“To begin to understand the fabric of Vietnamese life, one must understand the smaller units, or the villages. One must understand the Confucianism, animism and superstitions that have a hand in all Vietnamese decision-making. The older population’s beliefs about relationships are fast becoming quaint stories in the eyes of the youth, and a sexual revolution is bound to be a result as women emerge as a force to be reckoned with. Rural youth are moving into the cities at a pace that cannot yet accommodate them. Yet, they want what they sense is coming: a better and more hopeful life.” Lawrence D’Attilio |
The Soul of Vietnam: a Portrait of the North explores one of the world’s largest populations’ profound transformation into a global power. Of all the rapidly developing countries of Southeast Asia, perhaps Vietnam is changing the fastest; the country is becoming unrecognizable from only a decade earlier.
Lawrence D’Attilio is a life-long fine art photographer who, early in his career, studied with Ansel Adams. D’Attilio first arrived in Ha Noi in 2006 with his wife Pam, on the cusp of this wave of change. What he found, a country poised on the edge of an economic revolution, compelled him to return again and again over the next five years. His fascination with Ha Noi morphed into a fascination with its people: their character, their intensity, their ability to stay in the present while looking forward. D’Attilio undertook to see into the layers of Vietnamese society; many of his images capture the everyday. Returning year after year, eventually spending sixteen months in the country, living in Ha Noi, exploring the highlands, as well as the northern mountain region near China, and to villages that have economies based on women’s micro-lending programs.
The Soul of Vietnam: a Portrait of the North is D’Attilio’s intimate homage over six years to a culture that thinks on its feet, comprehends its place on Earth, and has an increasing perception of its own power. With one foot in the past, its current move into the global arena will be fascinating to observe.
I believe these images mitigate the old idea so many in the West have about Vietnam. It is no longer just rice fields and social conditions determined by a centralized, paternalistic government.” --Lawrence D’Attilio
A companion book 'The Soul of Vietnam: a Portrait of the Norths' by Lawrence D'Attilio is available soon.
a review copy is available upon request
Number of photographs: approx 60
Frame sizes: 22x28 and 20x24
Rental fee: $3500/ 8 weeks
Lawrence D’Attilio is a life-long fine art photographer who, early in his career, studied with Ansel Adams. D’Attilio first arrived in Ha Noi in 2006 with his wife Pam, on the cusp of this wave of change. What he found, a country poised on the edge of an economic revolution, compelled him to return again and again over the next five years. His fascination with Ha Noi morphed into a fascination with its people: their character, their intensity, their ability to stay in the present while looking forward. D’Attilio undertook to see into the layers of Vietnamese society; many of his images capture the everyday. Returning year after year, eventually spending sixteen months in the country, living in Ha Noi, exploring the highlands, as well as the northern mountain region near China, and to villages that have economies based on women’s micro-lending programs.
The Soul of Vietnam: a Portrait of the North is D’Attilio’s intimate homage over six years to a culture that thinks on its feet, comprehends its place on Earth, and has an increasing perception of its own power. With one foot in the past, its current move into the global arena will be fascinating to observe.
I believe these images mitigate the old idea so many in the West have about Vietnam. It is no longer just rice fields and social conditions determined by a centralized, paternalistic government.” --Lawrence D’Attilio
A companion book 'The Soul of Vietnam: a Portrait of the Norths' by Lawrence D'Attilio is available soon.
a review copy is available upon request
Number of photographs: approx 60
Frame sizes: 22x28 and 20x24
Rental fee: $3500/ 8 weeks