Nắng Sau Rèm (Sunshine Behind the Curtain) features 28 photos of nude models in yoga positions by Vietnamese photographer Nguyen Thai Phien. Photo courtesy of the artist

The 28 photos are selected from Phien’s 120 latest works that have been created in one and a half years since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Vietnam in early 2020.

The models in the collection are seven trainers in basic yoga positions.

“During the pandemic, I realised that health is the most important thing. I want to call on everyone to improve their physical health and keep their mind at peace amidst the chaos of news about COVID-19,” Phien told vnexpress.net regarding his inspiration for Sunshine Behind the Curtain.

According to the photographer, the online exhibition is designed to enable the viewers to feel like they are in the middle of a real-life exhibition.

“During the social distancing period, what an artist aspires to is how to continue to bring his artworks to the audience,” said Phien.

“Fortunately, I met Binh Pham who specialises in researching art software. She has helped to set up a virtual exhibition for my nude collection. At the beginning, I only have 28 works exhibited for trial and will continue to upload others later on,” said the 61-year-old photographer.

Virtual 3D technology enables viewers to feel like they are entering a space similar to reality and at the same time, they could contemplate the beauty of each work from different angles and depths.

“But more importantly, while an offline exhibition is limited in space and time, an online 3D exhibition is accessible anywhere and anytime as long as they have an internet connection, which I have been longing for – integrating my works with modern technology to reach a wider audience,” Phien said.

He noted that the photos are in black and white to highlight the elegance and tenderness of yoga while avoiding offensive feelings.

In Sunshine Behind the Curtain, the light of the lamp is combined with natural light; therefore, the viewers could feel the effect of the sunlight shining through the curtain, he said.

"And the blur of light makes the sense of time and space no longer visible, reminding us that “time is flying by… One day we'll be old and hunched, walking slowly to the end of the road of age with a cane. What will comfort us most during that long late afternoon? Certainly it is not money, status or fame, but our place in the hearts of those surrounding us, or the wonderful images and memories that remain in our limited memory,” said Phien about his nude photo exhibition on his Facebook page.

Sunshine Behind the Curtain will run until July 15.

Phien was born in 1960 in Thua Thien-Hue Province. He started to pursue art photography in 1992 while he was still working as an agro-forestry engineer.

He has won over 50 domestic and international photography awards, and was honoured with the title 'Gold Excellence Artist' of Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists in 2014.

In 2018, he launched his first nude photo exhibition, Miền Cổ Tích (Fairyland), in HCM City.

Source: Vietnam News

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