Painter Kieu Hanh Morel, Singapore

„I am originally from Vietnam that I left in 2003 to come to live in France. As soon as I arrived Paris I took Roman calligraphy courses with the calligrapher Bruno Gigarel at the Calligraphy Workshop of Saint-Germain des Prés in Paris 6e, as well as Art courses at the Rueil-Malmaison School of Arts, and then with the artist Dominique Schmitt in Rueil Malmaison to discover new techniques and master the mix of colors and materials.

I have also been attending Chinese calligraphy courses with Mr. Cheng (a local Chinese calligrapher) during my stay in Hong Kong from 2014 to 2017, till I moved to Singapore with my husband. During more than 10 years in Paris, I have been participating in a number of exhibitions and two memorable Cow Parades (2012, 2015) events where I could allow my inspiration to transform and design three cows before they were sold for charity.

I love mixing in some of my paintings the art of calligraphy together with pictural inspiration. My source of inspiration comes from my homeland, Vietnam, with its typical colors, smells and everyday life scenes. I am happy with a brush in my hand, capturing those simple – albeit loaded with emotions – moments. My quest eventually is to encapsulate life into my paintings. With oil or acrylic, brush, spatula or palette knife, the material is deposited in thick layers to give intensity to the harmony of colors in addition to relief. My paintings are inspired by the mystery of nature and life’s experience and emotions: they are in tribute to life, to nature, to epicurean pleasures.

Let me tell you a bit more about my former life in Vietnam. I was born in 1958. My childhood was mostly in Dalat where I spent my studies in French schools such as Couvent des Oiseaux and Lycée Yersin. My father was an architect and used to design furnitures for the Royal Palace in Dalat. He was the one feeding my interest for arts.

I moved to Saigon with the family in 1980. Like many Vietnamese the family got dispersed in several continents and countries after the war. I used to work for Moet Hennessy in Saigon where I met my husband. As you read before I left Vietnam for France in 2003 and started my art courses in Paris. I did my first exhibition at the Marché des Peintres in 2004 in Rueil-Malmaison (close to Paris), followed by 2 to 3 exhibitions every year in Paris and around from 2004 to 2014.

I met French artist Frédérique Stref in Singapore last year. And soon we will have our first exhibition together.“

Kieu Hanh Morel

sl4artglobal wishes you both good luck on this endeavour. Looking forward to hear from you again. And, of course: Waiting for the opening!