Vietnam Bridge spoke to Le Thai Son one of Vietnam’s youngest but most committed art collectors who owns the work of more than 100 artists according to the site. Son sees a big future for Vietnamese artists if the country can build an infrastructure for the art market:

Son added that artists cannot themselves promote their own works; they need dealers, curators, critics and auction companies to promote their works in public with their true values. However, he is confident the local market will have its day. “Every product firstly needs their local market and I think Vietnam’s painting market will boom maybe in 30 or 40 years when the nation’s economy develops more and when the public have an appreciation and new taste for art, instead of buying counterfeited or imitated paintings as they do currently.” […]

From 1996, when many foreign collectors and galleries looked to Vietnam, many local artists began promoting their works abroad such as Dang Xuan Hoa, Nguyen Thanh Binh, Nguyen Trung, Do Quang Em, Tran Luu Hau or Le Kinh Tai. They sold their works through art investment channels abroad such as in the U.S., Singapore and Hong Kong.

“Artists work by creativeness and passion but live via food and drinks. Rich people in Vietnam can buy luxury houses, airplanes or boats worth millions of U.S. dollars but they hesitate to buy a painting worth thousands,” said Le Kinh Tai.

Vietnam’s Art Market Needs an Investment Channel (Vietnam Net)