A MAN OF THE CENTRAL HIGHLANDS: THE WORKS OF NGUYEN NGOCAN

This is a paper on the artistic works of artist NGUYEN NGOCAN. He was born and has been living in Kon Tum, a city of the central highlands of Vietnam. The Kon Tum province has two borders with the neighboring countries of Cambodia and Laos. The northern part of the province has higher mountains and Kon Tum city is 525 meters from sea level. The city of Kon Tum was established by the French missionaries, Missions Etrangeres de Paris in the mid-19th century (Hickey, 1982a, pp. 190-197). An old wooden church and a mission built between 1913 and 1918 are still in use. The main followers of the Catholic Church in Kon Tum are people of the B ana ethni c group. Nguyen Ngoc An is a member of the Art Association of Vietnam (Hoi My thuat Viet Nam) and an owner of a well-known garden cafe called Eva Cafe in Kon Tum, where he installs his art works. He also organizes special trips for tourists to get to know the society of the Bana ethnic minority. This paper is an endeavor to understand An s identity as a man of the Highlands which is reflected in his art works.