Several artists among the H & S collection were part of the « Group of ten » (as they came to be named):
Nguyễn Trung, Ca Lê Thang, Ngô Đong (who withdrew from the group in 1993 and was replaced by Đào Minh Tri), Nguyễn Tan Cương, Nguyễn Thanh Bình, Hứa Thanh Bình, Nguyễn Trung Tín, Đỗ Hoàng Tường, Tran Văn Thảo and Vũ Hà Nam. Other artists known to subsequently exhibit with them were Bùi Suoi Hoa, Kim Bạch, Hoàng Minh Hang, Phan Gia Hương, Quỳnh Hương, Ho Hữu Thủ and Lê Kim Thư.
A very interesting and documented article « Spirit of Friendship: Artist Groups in Vietnam Since 1975 » wrote in 2017 by ZOE BUTT with the assistance of BILL NGUYỄN and LÊ THIÊN BẢO focused on the creation of some of these « artist groups » created in Vietnam since 1975. You can find the full article here: https://muse.jhu.edu/pub/43/article/690547
Here is an extract of the article speaking of « the gang of ten »:
« Situated at the spatial centre of this exhibition was a focus on the work of the Group of 10, Salon Natasha, Nhà Sàn and Sàn Art, four artist groups specifically chosen for their demonstration of how artist friendships have addressed the lack of networked support, opportunity, expertise and educational resources available for artists in Vietnam, through unique means of artistic exchange and production, exhibition making and the creation of dynamic learning environments.
Group of 10 (as they came to be named) was a unique group of artists who, beginning in 1989, started to exhibit in the ground-floor offices of the newspaper Van Nghe, gathering together as friends in Ho Chi Minh City over a table, ten chairs, a few bottles of vodka and a sardine box. This scene was soon enriched by leaflets about their annual group exhibitions, and recent issues of My Thuat, a magazine on fine art published by the Ho Chi Minh Fine Art Association, which two of the Group of 10 members, Ca Lê Thang and Nguyễn Trung, were partly responsible for publishing.
Figure 2.
A part of Group of 10 in an exhibition in Hanoi, 1993. From left to right: Nguyễn Tấn Cương, Đỗ Hoàng Tường, Nguyễn Trung, Ca Lê Thắng, Đào Minh Tri, Trần Văn Thảo. Photo courtesy of artist Nguyễn Tấn Cương and Ngyễn Kim Tố
This was an unusual yet significant group of people, for its members hailed from both North and South Vietnam, making Group of 10 arguably the first group of artists to work together across this previous ideological divide. This was partly a consequence of the communist-appointed Fine Art Association forming national membership, and in the process sending significant artistic talents south to lead its initiatives. But it also reflected the artists thinking practically about the chances of a better livelihood. Leaving aside their ideological leanings and (perhaps intimidating) official appointments, these artists came together in the spirit of art, particularly for an exploration of abstraction: a mode of painting not officially permitted (and thus not taught or supported) at the time. Their first group show in 1989 came to be an annual event in Ho Chi Minh City, and the January 1992 edition was recognised as the first to display abstract art in the country. «
