Bui Cong Khanh (b. 1972) lives and works between Hoi An and Ho Chi Minh City. He graduated from the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts University with a BFA in oil painting, but soon embraced a diverse practice ranging from painting to performance, installation, sculpture and ceramics. His work has been exhibited worldwide.
Bui’s works explore history and contemporary Vietnamese society and examine the impact of global capital. He incorporates figurative representations of personal references in his iconic porcelain vases, which are a bridge between ancient and contemporary culture. Using a centuries-old traditional medium, Bui decorates it with messages and representations that are immediately recognisable in their contemporary context. Charged with political commentaries and social inspections, his works are always tinged with a satirical humour. In his solo show at San Art in 2010, Life is Consumption, Bui took everyday objects such as soda cans and oil kegs and painted them with humouristic takes on
contemporary life in Vietnam, with its contradictory embrace of modern life. In his latest work, Bui has incorporated images of war and conflict, such as tanks fused to beautiful ceramic plates, with flower decorations.