Do you know that feeling of waking up from a comforting dream – its contours still a bit hazy – that clings to you throughout the day? That’s what the work of up-and-coming photographer Chiron Duong feels like. Through a visual language that both hinges upon Vietnamese tradition and Eastern culture, a distinctive color palette and an ability to capture the most delicate of movements, the photographer has been carving out an entirely unique space for himself – drawing in an international audience along the way.

Q
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in the arts?
A
It was 2021 when I realized I was ready to pursue a career in art photography. Prior to that, I was still torn between landscape architecture and photography. I didn't really know what I was looking for and who I was until then.

Q
You initially settled on landscape architecture. What drew you to this field in the first place?
A
In the years before I decided to study this, I thought I had a gift for drawing and I just knew that I could study architecture. I was born and raised in a rural area, however, and at that time, contemporary art forms were not something you were really exposed to. So my family did not approve of me studying an art form. I understood their anxiety, so I chose landscape architecture to balance out my aptitude for drawing and my family’s dreams. But I also chose landscape architecture because I thought it would be great to learn about plants and also to be creative with them. Plants and flowers in particular evoke a certain softness and dreaminess that inspires me to this day.

Q
Is there an overlap between architecture and photography?
A
There are many similarities. The first in the ability to create spatial emotions by color, material, shapes, depth of field and composition. The second is the ability to link images together to create an experience for the viewer. But there are also parallels to how you approach both disciplines, particularly when it comes to the research phase. In both cases, you have to take the social context into consideration. I have always always been interested in the connection between the natural and the human, the rural and the urban – which transpires in both disciplines. In my work I apply the landscape architect’s way of thinking to finding the subject and implementing a photography idea. Both require keen observation, contemplation, and judgment.