Gibson Gallery hosting new exhibit featuring artist originally from Vietnam

By Hailey Zimmerman

An artist originally from Vietnam is now exhibiting in Amherstburg with his work describing his leaving for Canada.

The work on display at the Gibson Gallery, dubbed “It’s Personal, A Journey,” shows Khoan’s art that depicts himself, and everything he has been through in a Communist Vietnam and his eventual trek to Canada. He pointed out he was one of the “boat people” that fled the southeast Asian country. His living conditions in Vietnam included living through the Vietnam War. In 1971, at the age of 18, Khoan had to lose his best friend to death as his friend was a soldier in Vietnam, whereas he had never become one due to an eye problem that had limited his access to the army.

Shortly later, Khoan left Vietnam on a boat of around 64 people to flee the country.

“My parents did not come with me, because I had a sick brother who could not travel, and they had to look over him,” said Khoan. “I escaped by boat. We spent 14 days on the ocean.”

On their journey, Khoan and the rest of the boat members had to witness two people die on the boat before making it ashore, after floating to Indonesia.

“We didn’t have good meals,” he said. “After 14 days, very little water was left.”

Upon their arrival in Indonesia, they were sent to a camp, where they were allotted living quarters. In those quarters, they were given the tools to paint. Khoan had already had a knowledge of painting due to an art school in his country. He created a painting of the camp where he stayed in Indonesia for over 13 months.

From Indonesia, representatives from Canada came and helped plenty of people get to better regions. It was then that he was accepted by the Canadian delegation. Khoan would eventually be accepted, arriving in Canada Feb. 25, 1985, and would settle in the Windsor region. He tried many jobs, including working at a small grocery store with fruits and vegetables. Khoan also worked the tool and mold industry. He decided to retire in 2018.

As for painting, he had painted his whole life, in

Vietnam and Indonesia. Getting back into painting when he got back to Canada was a process. He did not paint for his first 18 years in Canada. His first piece was made in 2003, when he forced himself to paint a little bit every day to get back into his artwork. Now, Khoan is able to find painting therapeutic.

“This is the biggest one,” he said of the current exhibit. Khoan has previously exhibited some of his works before in Windsor for art exhibitions. “A Personal Story About Fleeing” is the biggest exhibit Khoan has ever had. The display has around 30 pieces total, 15 being paintings, and the other 15 photographs. His artwork is mostly based on his life memories and life experiences.

“It’s about myself and what I’ve been through,” said Khoan.

There are photographs on display from his earlier life, like the painting of the Indonesian camp, his very first painting from Canada, or even certain paintings dedicated to certain thoughts or people, like his “Earth & Sky’’ painting, dedicated to his mother. There are also many pictures. Some of those are from his first jobs after moving to Canada, and others of things like friends he met in his life, including a former South Vietnamese army soldier he met in Windsor.

More information is available at www.gibsonartgallery.com or by calling 519-736-2826. The Gibson Gallery is located at 140 Richmond St. and is open daily from 11 a.m.-5 p.m. There is free admission.