Tuc in the eyes of ChoeN VIETNAM & ASIA
CHOE'S WAR & PEACE ENGLISH LITERATURE VIETNAMESE PAINTINGS WORLD CARTOONISTS HOME
 
Choe: the Vietnamese best known cartoonist
 (c)  Dr Tuc Ho-Dac 
 
 Choe's self-portrait Born 1944, Choe - penname of Nguyen Hai Chi, gains his world fame over his sarcastic cartoons during the Viet Nam War. When the War ended in 1975, he spent many years in re-education camps. His jail term qualified him for resettling in the US under the US "HO" Program. He refused, however, to go there.   

He is currently crafting his art of Vietnam under the open market policy for a few daily newspapers, including Lao Dong (Labour) and Cong An (Public Security). He is also known under the pennames Tran Ai and Cap. His latest book is Lai Rai Ve ... Viet ("Drag on painting ... writing") published by Lao Dong in 1993.   

I am fortunate enough to acquire hundreds of his cartoons he crafted during and after the War, including a few of his recent oil paintings of 35 profiles of famous artists from Albert Camus, Mozart, Tolstoi, Chaplin, HemmingWay, Beckett to Shakespear.  

More photo & stories to come...   
(c)  Dr Tuc Ho-Dac  
More about Choe from Neal Ulevich
 
CHOE'S ART DURING THE WAR
 
 
After the victory (1972)
Henry Kissinger (4/1974)
Henry Kissinger
US President G. Ford
 
The Right to Write (1972) 
  
 
CHOE'S ART AFTER THE WAR
 
Shoot the history! (1991)
Corruption (1990)
CHARLOT (1992)
Charlot
PABLO PICASSO (1992)
Choe's Picasso
 
A few words about Choe from Neal Ulevich
Nguyen Hai Chi, a cartoonist who signed his work Choe or CAP, in the early 70s crafted daily art of the blackest despair for the Saigon daily Song Thanh. The Saigon government frequently censored Choe's art, which was always critical of Saigon and Washington, and often scandalous. Nor was Choe easier on North Vietnam: He portrayed Hanoi's Gen. Vo Dung Giap as a vampire.

While working as a photojournalist in Vietnam I sought Choe out, and acquired some of his original art work.

I lost track of Choe after the war ended in 1975. Recently I have been told he survived manyadventures and some hard stints in reeducation camps. He currently lives in Ho Chi Minh City - formerly Saigon - and sells watercolors.
Neal Ulevich

(c) Dr Tuc Ho-Dac