British artist draws attention to HCMC panorama in minute detail

In the three weeks that the sketches have been on display in District 1, they have drawn admiring attention from city residents.

The artist adds finishing touches to his work before it is hung up on the wall. The exhibition is part of Fawcett’s “Preserving the memory of the city through sketches” program, documenting the changes in HCMC over more than 10 years that he has lived in the city.
The artist said he spent many years observing the landscapes of the city and recording it with ink drawings on large paper.

The sketches were drawn in painstaking detail from skyscrapers.
The sketch above is a 360 degree view from the top floor of the Centec Tower building made in April 2015. It took Fawcett more than 230 hours to complete this work.

A detailed look at the city center in the 15-meter-long artwork, featuring the iconic Notre Dame Cathedral surrounded by modern buildings.

Part of Binh Thanh District and District 1 seen from the 23rd floor of The Manor building on Nguyen Huu Canh Street, done in 2016.

A view of the city from Landmark 81, Vietnam’s tallest building standing tall at 461.5 meters, done in 2018. It shows a part of the Saigon River, the Thu Thiem peninsula and the central area of District 1.

This sketch is a 180-degree view of the east of the city from the 18th floor of The Prince Residence on Nguyen Van Troi Street. In the forefront is the Nhieu Loc – Thi Nghe canal and part of the Cong Ly Bridge that leads to the city center. Fawcett took 130 hours to complete this latest work, which is also the last one in the exhibition.

City resident Viet Bac, 72, said: “The sketches are very beautiful and detailed, helping viewers see the development of the city when viewed from above.”
The exhibition will remain open until June 1, 2022. The works will be auctioned later and the proceeds donated to children’s charities in the city.