Vietnam's 25 Years of Change Through the Eyes of an American Photographer
Through her photos, American photographer Catherine Karnow expresses her deep love for the country and people of Vietnam.
On the evening of April 10, at Art Vietnam Gallery (Ly Quoc Su, Hanoi), the photo exhibition “Vietnam 25 years, a changing country” by American photographer Catherine Karnow opened. The exhibition was held to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Vietnam-US diplomatic relations and the 40th anniversary of the end of the war between the US and Vietnam.
As a freelance photographer, Catherine Karnow is known from National Geographic magazine for her landscape photos around the world over the past 3 decades. Her father is Stanley Karnow, a famous journalist and author of the book about Vietnam “Vietnam: A History”. Inheriting from her father’s work, Catherine has a deep interest in the land and people of Vietnam.
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| Photographer Catherine Karnow (far right) |
The 39 photographic works on display at this exhibition are like a diary telling the story of Catherine Karnow's 25-year journey of discovering Vietnam. From the early 90s, the renovation period, to the present, the female photographer recorded the winding changes of this country and immersed herself in the land and people here.
It was a quiet Vietnam in the 90s; a reformed Vietnam with its moves towards international trade; a modern Vietnam with new energies and a passion for life expressed through the world of consumption, fashion, lifestyle, all of which 25 years ago were merely a dream.
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| Through her photos, American photographer Catherine Karnow expresses her deep love for the country and people of Vietnam. |
In particular, the photos that brought the most emotions to viewers that the female photographer captured were about the remnants of war, about Agent Orange..., or the unforgettable memories of the image of General Vo Nguyen Giap, the tearful State funeral of the Vietnamese people sending off General Giap that she had the opportunity to witness.
Vietnam is deeply ingrained in the photographer’s soul. Through her photographs, Catherine Karnow expresses her deep love for the country and its people. And with each visit to Vietnam, she makes new – often long-lasting – friendships with the subjects in her photos.
Photographer Catherine Karnow shared: “I am impressed with everything about Vietnam, but especially with the people here. Vietnamese people have good qualities. They are always cheerful, hospitable and generous. They are also very optimistic, hard-working and extremely interesting. In the past 25 years, I have been to Vietnam 15 times, and each time I come here I meet old friends and make many new friends. This country is very attractive to me. I always feel miracles happening every time I set foot in Vietnam”./.
Some photos in the exhibition:
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| Photo of a woman on the Reunification train in 1990 |
People waiting for a ferry in Ho Chi Minh City in 1990
The Last Royals in 1990
Vietnam in the renovation period with the image of a businessman on a cyclo. Photo taken in 1994
Modern Vietnam with the image of a little girl in the suburbs of Ho Chi Minh City captured by a photographer in 2013
Children gather to play in a room on the outskirts of Ho Chi Minh City in 2013
Vietnam's film industry boomed in 2014
At Vinpearl water park in central Hanoi, the photographer captured images of young people from a nearby university having fun with their friends.
Sidewalk haircut scene taken in 2014
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| General Vo Nguyen Giap |
Touching images of the State funeral of General Vo Nguyen Giap
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| The remnants of war are disabled children. |
Agent Orange pain
Image of Vietnamese-American mixed-race person
US veteran John Abbey and his daughter visit the kindergarten they sponsor in Quang Tri
According to VOV
