Behind the Shoulders of Saigon

Students in uniform heading home after a day of classes, riding on the back of their parent’s motorcycles; a cyclist delivering takeout, masterfully steering with one hand and balancing a tray of steaming hot food on the other; and a pickup truck loaded with furniture heading to their third destination of the day. These are all-too-common scenes in the busy streets of Ho Chi Minh City, and graphic designer Maxk Nguyen revels in this frenetic energy. Finding inspiration in this hustle and bustle, Nguyen and his team created the Sài Gòn sau vai, which presents unconventional portraits of the city’s busy inhabitants as a series of beautiful illustrations. “Here in Saigon, every time I step out into the street, I see someone’s back. Even though I do not see their faces, they all bring me endless inspirations.”

放学后跨上摩托车顺路回家的同班同学，一手把着方向盘一手举着托盘穿梭在人群里的“外卖高手”，满载家具的小货车一脚油门赶往今天的第三个目的地。这座城市到处都是匆匆而过的人，还没留意看清楚，就已经从你旁边擦身而过了。居住在越南胡志明市的设计师Maxk Nguyen，钟情于这些匆忙的背影，他选择了这个与容易被人忽略的角度，和他的团队一起创作了这个名为《Sài Gòn sau vai》插画作品。“在西贡，我每次走上街，眼前仿佛都是一个个或匆忙或优雅的背影，虽然我不曾看清他们的正脸，但这些背影也给我带来了无限的想象。”