Bui Cong Khanh is an artist deeply fascinated with social assumptions of culture heritage. As one of the first local artists to gain an international reputation in the 1990s, with his performances questioning restrictions of installation, video and drawing with successeful showcase across the South East Asian region and beyond.

Born in 1972 in Da Nang, a coastal city dominated by American Gls during the Vietnam War and growing up in Hoi An, a nearby historic trading port that was a bustling immigrant town for Chinese and Japanese merchants since the 18th Century, Bui’s art often reflects the complex interwoven history of Vietnam, examining its resilient, yet destructive dance between colonial occupation, political independence and economic progress.

Bui Cong Khanh is a poetically provocative artist, well respected by his community, whose art continue to grow with depth by historical research, a marriage of the plastic arts with conceptual method not taught within the educational system of Vietnam. He currently lives and works in Hoi An.

Solo Exhibitions Group Exhibitions Awards Activities

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2024 ‘An Anatomy of Sadness’, Sàn Art, HCMC, Vietnam
2018 ‘Porcelain Medals and Jackfruit Grenades – The American War in Vietnam examined through the art of Bui Cong Khanh’, curated by Iola Lenzi, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
2017 ‘Seam Line’, Wilfrid Israel Museum, Israel
2016 ‘Dislocate’, The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, HCMC, Vietnam
2015 ‘FortressTemple’, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
2014  ‘For Home and Country’, Yavuz Gallery, Singapore
2010 ‘Juice’, Java Café ,Phnom Penh ,Cambodia
‘Safe’, L’USINE, HCMC, Vietnam
‘Life Is Consumption’, Sàn Art, HCMC, Vietnam
2005 ‘The Souvenir’, Mai’s Gallery, HCMC, Vietnam
2004 ‘I And The What’, Mai’s Gallery, HCMC, Vietnam

Selected
Group
Exhibitions

2024 ‘The 11th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art’, Queenland’s Art Gallery, Australia
‘In Stranger Lands: Cocoa’s Journeys to Asia’, curated by Caroline Ha Thuc, Tang Contemporary Art, Hongkong
‘Ecological Art from Beneath: Gangwon,Learning from the Ant Tunnels’. Gangwon International Triennale (GIT)
‘Lady Dior As Seen By’, An Gallery, Saigon, Vietnam
‘In Stranger Lands: Cocoa’s Journeys to Asia’, curated by Caroline Ha Thuc, Nguyen Art Foundation, Saigon, Viet Nam
2023 ‘Dislocate’ art exhibit shown at M+ Museum, Hong Kong. The artwork ‘Dislocate’ was acquired by M+ Museum’s collection
‘There is no lonesome wave’ at POUSH, Paris, France
‘V.I.E’ a group exhibition by artists from Vietnam, A2Z Art Gallery, Paris, France
2021 ‘Impressions Unearth’, Sàn Art, Saigon, Vietnam
‘Home: Looking inwards to the outer world’, The Factory Contemporary Arts Centre, Saigon, Vietnam
2020 ‘Stealing Public Space’, The Substation, Singapore
2019 ‘Homo Faber: Craft in Contemporary Sculpture’, Asia Culture Center (ACC), Gwangju, Korea
Artist in residence and exhibition at Absolute Art Space, Tainan, Taiwan
‘Concept Context Contestation’, Southeast Asian contemporary art exhibition in Myanmar, Secretariat Building, Yangon, Myanmar
‘Moving Pledges: Art and Action in Southeast Asia’ organized by Lasalle College of the Arts, Singapore
2018 ‘Crack in time’, Go Fish Studio, Hoi An, Viet Nam
2017 International ceramic workshop and exhibition at Taoxichuan-Jindezhen International Ceramics, Jiangxi, China
‘Out of Tropical’, galerie nichido, Taipei, Taiwan
‘UNDEFINED BOUNDARIES’, introduces Vietnamese and Korean Contemporary Art, Heritage Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
2016 ‘Singapore Biennale 2016: An Atlas of Mirrors’, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
‘Concept Context Contestation: art and the collective in Southeast Asia’, Jogjakarta, Indonesia
‘Sein-Antlitz-Koerper’ exhibition, Berlin, Germany
‘Into Thin Air’, Manzi Art Space, Hanoi, Vietnam
‘Shapeshifting: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia’, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
‘Bold Strokes: Celebration of Life and Art’, Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam
 2015 ‘Reshaping Tradition: Contemporary Ceramics from East Asia’, USC Pacific Asia Museum, US
‘Concept Context Contestation: art and the collective in Southeast Asia’, Goethe Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam
‘Building Histories’, nine participating artists from Southeast Asia – five from Myanmar and four from neighboring countries, Goethe Institute, Yangon, Myanmar
2014 ‘The Roving Eye: Contemporary Art from Southeast Asia’, ARTER, Istanbul, Turkey
‘SENSORIUM 360 – Contemporary Art and the Sensed World’, exhibition of Southeast Asian and Asian contemporary art, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore
2013 ‘Concept Context Contestation, art and collective in southeast Asia’, BACC, Bangkok, Thailand
Creative Fusion-International Artist Residency Program-Cleveland-Ohio
International Artist Lectures at Columbia College Chicago-US
‘WE=ME’, Asean Art Exhibition and Symposium, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
2012 ‘South Country, South of Country—Vietnamese & Taiwanese Artists Exchange Project’, Howl Space, Tainan, Taiwan
‘O exhibition’, SAIC, School of the art institute of Chicago, US
‘RiAP’, International Performance Festival, Québec, Canada
‘Images Passages’, Musee-Chateau de l’Agglomeration d’Annecy, France
‘Four Rising Talents from Southeast Asia’, 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Hong Kong
2011 ‘Durian pie Factory-collaboration’ Artist Residency Exchange Exhibition between Korean and Vietnamese artists at Ho Chi Minh City University of Fine Arts in December 2010, and Jejudo ‘gout gan, shym’, South Korea in March 2011
2010 Château de la Roche-Jacquelin (Maine-et-Loire) ,France
‘Making History’ exhibition, Esplanade, Singapore
2009 ‘The Asia-Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT)’, Queenland’s Art Gallery, Australia
‘Intersection Vietnam : New Works from North & South’, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Singapore
‘Intersection Vietnam : New Works from North & South’, Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (link)
‘Time Ligaments’, Contemporary Vietnamese artists,10 Chancery Gallery, HongKong
‘Who do you think we are…?’, Bui Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam
‘Future’, Sàn Art, Saigon, Vietnam
Young Artists Exhibition, Hanoi Fine Arts University
Exhibition and Performance, Java café, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
2005 7th Asiatopia, 2005 and First S.E Asia Performance Art Symposium (SEAPAS), Bangkok, Thailand
‘The Man Makes Rain’, video art, House of World Cultures, Berlin, Germany
‘Reach Outlying: The Body in Performance’ (Reaching Outlying-2005 TIPALive), Taiwan International Performance Art Festival, Taiwan
Young Artists Exhibition at Saigon South Arts Center, Vietnam
Exhibition in Suwon, Korea
Sea Arts Festival, Busan Biennale, Korea
International Art Performance, Gwangju Biennale, Korea
2004 ‘Congress-Welcome Gold’, International Art Performance, Seoul, Korea
Participated in ‘NIPAF Asian Performance Art Series’, Japan
Young view competition. Centre de culturel francais de Hanoi. 2nd Prize
2003 Blue Space Art Gallery, performance, HCMC, Vietnam
Installation and Performance at Binh Quoi village, HCMC, Vietnam
Participated in ‘The Color’, Hoi An artist Club Exhibition, Vietnam
‘2003 Seoul-Asia Art Now: Modernization & Urbanization’, participated in the art exhibition, Seoul, Korea
2002 ‘Hoi An’s People’, Installation, Performance and Arts Exhibition, La Gai Arts Space, Vietnam
‘Windows to Asia’, Arts Network Asia (ANA) Vietnam Workshop, Vietnamese Fine Arts Association – Hanoi Contemporary Art Center, sponsored by Ford Foundation Jakarta & Ford Foundation Hanoi, Vietnam
‘4th Asiatopia 2002: International Performance Art Festival’, Bangkok, Thailand
‘Melting Pot’, Toulouse, France
‘Viet Nam Multifaceted’, Toulouse, France
‘Tiedeux du Sud’, Impressions Gallery, Paris, France
2000 Arts exhibition for World Peace, GANA gallery, Seoul, Korea
1999 Group exhibition by young artists, Blue Gallery, Da Nang City, Vietnam
‘They & I’, group exhibition by young artists, Blue Space Gallery, Saigon, Vietnam
1998 Group exhibition by Young Artists, Viet Nam Gallery, Saigon, Vietnam
1997 ‘Who Am I?’, installation arts & exhibition, participating students from France and Vietnam
1996 Participated in annual exhibitions hosted by the Young Club in Saigon, Vietnam

Awards and Honours

2017 Finalist of Sovereign Asian Art Prize, 2017, Hong Kong
Finalist of Dogma Prize, 2017, Vietnam
2016 Singapore Biennale 2016, with artwork ‘Dislocate’, Bui Cong Khanh was shortlisted for the 11th Benesse Prize
2011 15 finalists APB Foundation Signature Art Prize, Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation and Singapore Art Museum (SAM)
2004 Young view compétition. Centre culturel français de Hanoi. 2nd Prize

Artist Residencies and other Activities

2023 Artist in residence at Walden Arts, Oppède, France
2019 Artist in residence and exhibition at Absolute Art Space, Tainan, Taiwan
2017 International ceramic workshop and exhibition at Taoxichuan – Jindezhen International Ceramics, Jiangxi, China
Artist in residence at NTU Centre for Contemporary Art Singapore, Singapore
2013 Creative Fusion, International Artist Residency Program, Cleveland, Ohio, U.S
International Artist Lectures at Columbia College Chicago, U.S
2005 3 months Fellowship for artist in residence at Vermont Studio Center, U.S