Bùi Thanh Tâm's Exhibition 'Christ, Buddha, and the Jigsaw' Explores Spiritual Fragmentation in Ho Chi Minh City
From November 17 to 24, 2025, Chillala House of Art in Ho Chi Minh City hosted a solo exhibition titled 'Christ, Buddha, and the Jigsaw' by Hanoi-based artist Bùi Thanh Tâm. Curated by Richard Vine and Phil Zheng Cai, the exhibition showcased nearly 50 pieces created between 2020 and 2025, including paintings, sculptures, and digital multiples. Tâm, recognized for his critiques of consumer culture, redirected his attention to various belief systems. The exhibition debuted with a striking four-meter-tall installation called 'The Ultimate Good—The Ultimate Evil.' Digital multiples fused Christian and Buddhist symbols with Vietnamese woodblock designs, while original paintings portrayed fragmented images of Buddha and scenes of crucifixion, reflecting Tâm's personal experiences with themes of mourning and fear.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Christ, Buddha, and the Jigsaw' ran from November 17 to 24, 2025
- Held at Chillala House of Art in Ho Chi Minh City
- Featured nearly 50 works by Bùi Thanh Tâm created between 2020 and 2025
- Curated by Richard Vine and Phil Zheng Cai
- Presented by Gate Gate Gallery
- Included paintings, digital multiples, and sculptures across two floors
- Tâm's father was a war veteran who influenced his work
- Digital multiples were created via smartphone editing of collage photographs
Entities
Artists
- Bùi Thanh Tâm
- Richard Vine
- Phil Zheng Cai
- Xintian Tina Wang
Institutions
- Gate Gate Gallery
- Chillala House of Art
- Art in America
- Eli Klein Gallery
- Asian American Journalist Association
- Time
- Elle
- The Brooklyn Rail
- ARTNews
- The Observer
Locations
- Ho Chi Minh City
- Vietnam
- Hanoi
- New York
- China
- Washington, DC