Graffiti booms in streets of Ho Chi Minh City as artists push back against official censorship
For many the spray can is a tool of rebellion in a country where artists must have their work approved before exhibitions, shows are routinely shut down, and works deemed controversial are replaced by a black X on gallery walls
Shrouded by fumes and surrounded by spray cans, Vietnamese graffiti artist Kong conjures his latest masterpiece, a monkey clutching an aerosol, a colour-splashed act of rebellion in a communist country where the youth are expected to follow strict social mores.
“Young people want to break the rules,” said the 21-year-old, his fingers speckled with paint. “We want to see more interesting things on the street or on the wall, so we do graffiti to express ourselves.”
Kong belongs to the growing ranks of graffiti artists in Ho Chi Minh City, where subcultures – BMX biking, skateboarding and break-dancing – jostle for space on the hipster scene.
For many the spray can is a tool of rebellion – illicit spray-painting is a way of defying restrictions in an authoritarian country where artists must have their work approved before exhibitions, shows are routinely shut down, and works deemed controversial are replaced by a black ‘X’ on gallery walls.
But Kong knows better than to dabble in politics, opting instead to paint playful images less likely to incur the wrath of censors in the authoritarian nation.