Barista from Vietnam now living on Black Isle to stage first art exhibition after discovering joy of painting during coronavirus lockdown
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A Vietnamese barista now living on the Black Isle is to stage his first art exhibition after teaching himself oil painting during lockdown.
Tuan Nguyen will display his work, featuring Highland landscapes, in a converted summerhouse next to the bed and breakfast which he and his partner, Steve Baker, are opening.
The exhibition at Black Isle Bed and Breakfast near Avoch will open on Tuesday and run until May 8.
The duo moved from Bristol to the Black Isle three years ago – and then the pandemic hit.
“It was difficult not being able to see people and friends – I had too much time on my hands,” said Mr Nguyen, a trained barista at Crofters Café in Rosemarkie.
“I had to do something which was meaningful and I started painting.”
His work ranges from seascapes to a dramatic sunset over the Kessock Bridge.
“Painting has made me appreciate more the beauty of all the precious things that surround me,” he said. “It makes me feel connected with nature.”
Mr Nguyen, who has already sold some of his work, has lived in the UK for almost five years after he and Mr Baker, a former teacher, met in Vietnam.
Further details at blackislebandb.co.uk
