Vong Phaophanit
Encyclopedia
Vong Phaophanit is an artist based in London
. Born, in Savannakhet
, Laos
in 1961, Vong Phaophanit was educated in Paris
and later studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Aix en Provence, France
. He met and married Claire Oboussier
while they were both still students, moved to the UK in 1985 and became a British citizen in 1993. In the UK, he began to experiment with a wide range of media subsequently exhibiting widely nationally and internationally. Phaophanit is best known for his large-scale installations which incorporate a wide range of materials including ash, silk, rice, rubber, wax and often light.
In 1993, he was short-listed for the Turner Prize
and in 1994 was awarded the DAAD fellowship in Berlin. He has been a visiting lecturer at Chelsea College of Art, Wimbledon School of Art, The University of East London
and Exeter College of Art and was also senior fellow in drawing at Wimbledon School of Art. In 1998, he was nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Prize and in 2002 was the award winner of the Art and Work Award for site-specific work with Gensler Architects.
His work is held in major collections around the world including the Tate Britain
, London
; The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Belfast
; The British Council Collection, London
; and The Arts Council Collection, London
. His most recent exhibitions were at Shanghai Biennale 2004; Void Gallery in Derry
in 2005; The Quiet in the Land, Luang Prabang
in 2006; and Gropius Bau Museum, Berlin
(‘The Tropics’) in 2008.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Born, in Savannakhet
Savannakhet
Savannakhet or Kaysone Phomvihane is a city in western Laos and the capital of the Savannakhet Province, previously known as Khanthabouli . This is the second-largest city in Laos, after Vientiane. The city is birthtown of Kaysone Phomvihane, former president of Laos, and was named after him in...
, Laos
Laos
Laos Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ Sathalanalat Paxathipatai Paxaxon Lao, officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic, is a landlocked country in Southeast Asia, bordered by Burma and China to the northwest, Vietnam to the east, Cambodia to the south and Thailand to the west...
in 1961, Vong Phaophanit was educated in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
and later studied at the Ecole des Beaux Arts, Aix en Provence, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He met and married Claire Oboussier
Claire Oboussier
Claire Oboussier is an artist working in London. She was brought up in Devon, and graduated from the University of Sussex in 1986.She met and married Vong Phaophanit during a year studying in Paris in 1985....
while they were both still students, moved to the UK in 1985 and became a British citizen in 1993. In the UK, he began to experiment with a wide range of media subsequently exhibiting widely nationally and internationally. Phaophanit is best known for his large-scale installations which incorporate a wide range of materials including ash, silk, rice, rubber, wax and often light.
In 1993, he was short-listed for the Turner Prize
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
and in 1994 was awarded the DAAD fellowship in Berlin. He has been a visiting lecturer at Chelsea College of Art, Wimbledon School of Art, The University of East London
University of East London
The University of East London is a university located in the London Borough of Newham, East London, England, based at two campuses in Stratford and Docklands areas...
and Exeter College of Art and was also senior fellow in drawing at Wimbledon School of Art. In 1998, he was nominated for the Paul Hamlyn Prize and in 2002 was the award winner of the Art and Work Award for site-specific work with Gensler Architects.
His work is held in major collections around the world including the Tate Britain
Tate Britain
Tate Britain is an art gallery situated on Millbank in London, and part of the Tate gallery network in Britain, with Tate Modern, Tate Liverpool and Tate St Ives. It is the oldest gallery in the network, opening in 1897. It houses a substantial collection of the works of J. M. W. Turner.-History:It...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; The Irish Museum of Modern Art, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
; The British Council Collection, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; and The Arts Council Collection, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. His most recent exhibitions were at Shanghai Biennale 2004; Void Gallery in Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
in 2005; The Quiet in the Land, Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang
Luang Prabang, or Louangphrabang , is a city located in north central Laos, where the Nam Khan river meets the Mekong River about north of Vientiane. It is the capital of Luang Prabang Province...
in 2006; and Gropius Bau Museum, Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
(‘The Tropics’) in 2008.
External links
- Official Site
- Tate Collection
- Vong Phaophanit at Sculpture.org.uk