Veteran artist’s photo exhibition features old-time celebs
Veteran artist Dinh Tien Mau has opened a photo exhibition featuring numerous old-time celebrities of Saigon on Nguyen Van Binh book street in downtown Ho Chi Minh City.
The photos remind viewers of the glorious days before 1975 of many beautiful Saigon lasses, including Diem Thuy, Ha Thanh, Thanh Nga, Thai Thanh, Kieu Chinh, Kim Cuong and Tham Thuy Hang. The exhibition is among a series of events about the old Saigon, which are being held by Phuong Nam Cultural Corp. (PNC) every two months, starting from now until the end of 2017.
At the event, photographer Dinh Tien Mau, the owner of the old Vien Kinh photo studio in Saigon, shared his experience in photography and his memories of the celebrated models he worked with prior to 1975, when southern Vietnam was liberated.
Dinh Tien Mau, who was born in the northern province of Ha Dong (now part of Hanoi) in 1935, moved to Saigon to work as a photographer. Mau started his career when he was 13 and opened his own studio in 1958 at the age of 23.
Vien Kinh Studio, which was opened in 1963 at 277 Phan Dinh Phung Street (now Nguyen Dinh Chieu Street in HCM City’s District 3), was a popular venue for celebrities to have their portraits taken for albums, and newspaper/magazine covers.
After 1975, Mau still pursued photography and worked for Khan Quang Do and Tuoi Tre newspapers.
Works by Dinh Tien Mau can be found in a series of books about Saigon, especially the book collection “Saigon, stories of a city” which was launched by Pham Cong Luan three years ago.
