Portrait Bomb
Before the fall of Saigon, my father worked as a portrait photographer, documenting individuals and families in Vietnam. In this body of work, photographs of my mother, father, and family from my father’s archive are layered with appropriated images of field bombings, aircraft spraying Agent Orange, and lotus and chrysanthemum flowers native to Vietnam. By juxtaposing intimate family portraits with images of military violence and the natural landscape, I examine the human cost of war and its lasting impact on families, communities, and cultural memory. The work explores the tension between preservation and destruction, revealing how personal histories become entangled with the collective trauma of war.
Field Bomb, 11"x14"
Father Chrysanthemum, 18"x24"
Mother Lotus, 18"x24"
Agent Bomb, 11"x14"
Vegas Bomb, 8"x10"