Photographer Nguyen Thai Phien’s naked yoga photos exhibited in Da Lat

Entitled “Nang Sau Rem” (Sunlight Behind the Curtain), the exhibition takes place in Da Lat, a city in Vietnam’s Central Highlands, starting July 11. It features 25 select pieces from a larger collection of 250 photographs taken by the artist since 2019.

Phien revealed that the inspiration for this project came during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were encouraged to engage in indoor physical activities. He then expanded his exploration into themes celebrating femininity and the importance of health in contemporary life.

The exhibition, according to officials from the Department of Culture, Sports, and Tourism in Lam Dong province—of which Da Lat is the capital—has been officially approved and is open to viewers of all ages.

A photo displayed at Phien’s “Nang Sau Rem” exhibition. Photo courtesy of Phien

Phien noted that all the yoga trainer models are aged between 20 and 35, skilled in performing complex yoga poses. He emphasized that he did not coerce the models into posing to avoid instilling any negative perceptions. Instead, he gained participants through referrals by a model he knew.

In the context of global yoga photography, Phien recognized the challenge of presenting this art form in a unique way, given the abundance of existing works. Over the five-year span of this project, his main challenges were selecting the perfect angles and lighting to capture moments of grace. He chose black and white photography to highlight the softness of yoga while ensuring it remained not vulgar.

A photo displayed at Phien’s “Nang Sau Rem” exhibition. Photo courtesy of Phien

Unlike his previous outdoor shoots, this series was carefully curated in a studio setting. By blending natural light with strategically positioned lamps, he created a setting where sunlight gently passed through curtains, creating soft patterns on the walls and models, which inspired the exhibition’s name.

To deepen his knowledge of yoga, Phien consulted various training manuals and learned about unique poses. He plans to organize exhibitions in Ho Chi Minh City, Da Nang, and Ha Noi to display his work in the future.

At 64, Phien, who is from the central Vietnamese city of Hue, began his career in artistic photography in 1992 while working as an agricultural engineer. He has won 50 local and international awards, and earned the prestigious Distinguished Artist in Photography title from the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists.

He succeeded in obtaining permission in 2018 to exhibit nude photography and release a photo book featuring nude photos after ten years of persistence, starting with his first exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City. Following the success of this exhibition, he organized three more exhibitions in various locations.

In recent years, societal attitudes towards nude art and photography have gradually shifted. In Sep. 2017, photographer Hao Nhien was the first to publicly display nude photography after overcoming licensing hurdles, generating significant public interest. A year later, Phien and nine other artists held a joint exhibition of similar works following an invitation from the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibitions.