The house by the sea is old,
so old that its owner, the abstract Vietnamese-German
artist known as Ki-em, has no idea of its real
age.
Some 50 km north of Nha Trang, an immense field
of salt runs along beside the street. The house
is located on the shore at the end of a village
road.
A women bamboo screen give on to a green garden
whit rows of coconut palms and guavas dripping
whit fruit. Standing among them are terracotta
pots of all sizes, used to store fresh water
or process fish sauce in this salty region where
Ki-em's childhood memories reside.
The lamp standards look like 15th century Cham
towers. A brick wall stands in middle of the
garden, facing out to sea. It is piece of installation
art which can be seen from far away.
"Everything here I have collected, inspired
by memories of my homeland, and times of hardship
in my life," said Ki-em.
It all gave me the feeling of returning to my
own childhood home-walking along the beach in
the morning, swimming in the sea, having a freshwater
bath in the garden, falling asleep on a swinging
hammock.
An open pavilion serves simple food: rice whit
salt flavoured with sweet basil, claypot meat
and fish, colour sticky rice. In the evening
we barbecued seafood on a blazing fire, lulled
by the lapping waves.
