Ruslan Vu is a Russian contemporary artist of Vietnamese origin. Vu's artistic approach is a paradigmatic example of trans-subjectivity growing out of a unique personal existential experience. The artist represents the double consciousness that exists in the gap between the Western and non-Western worlds, which is the fruitful locus of transculturation, (serving) as the material and catalyst for the birth of new paradigms.
Vu has been creating collage since 2013. To him, this is a way of creating a new reality and a new space where forms and images with no analogues (in reality) can be “brought to life” with absolute certainty. And the space itself can also be "turned apart", upside down, cut into pieces, come into contact, then connect to emerge as a whole with a different meaning. Starting with digital collages, he then went on to create works on create works on paper and canvas. Scissors have become a creative tool for him to cut out and create shape, somewhat similar to a sculpting tool. On one hand, they minimize man-made work, and on the other one they accentuate it.
Since 2017, a new form of visual motifs has appeared in his works - cities. He puts them together then erases the boundaries between them. He is very much inspired by the myriad colors of the cities, their uniqueness and authenticity, as if it were a living organism with skeleton.
Huu Nghi: Singapore & Vietnam 50-10 Exhibition
"The three collages I created are a combination of cultures and eras of Singapore and Hanoi, forming a new visual cityscape. In these collages, you can see the famous symbols of the two cities. I wanted to cross them together and reflect the cultural and architectural diversity of these cities and create a whole new space. This proves once again that the greatness of these cities and cultures can be celebrated in different ways, and although they are completely different, they both deserve our admiration."
