Nguyen Tuan

Lauded for his architectural, mathematical, and engineering skills, Nguyen Tuan glorifies the human form through lyrical bronze sculptures (typically between two and three feet high) that are often described as seemingly weightless. Repose, for instance, is a delicate nude female balancing on her toe while crouching over and simultaneously extending her arms and other leg. Nguyen is renowned for fusing Western technique and aesthetic with traditional Eastern values such as introspection and contemplation. Nude or wet drapery-clad figures evoke classical sculpture, while their ballerina-like poses and inherent serenity convey a celestial aura. Balance, which Nguyen believes is deeply important to human existence, is at the core of his work, manifested in his juxtapositions of masculine and feminine, dark and light, rough and smooth, and heaven and earth.