Artwork - Run for your Life, Thomas Le, Pencil Drawing, circa 1998

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Summary:: Pencil Drawing by Thomas Le. It depicts the period immediately after the fall of Saigon, when Mai's family made their first escape attempt. They escaped at the urging of Mai's father who passed away shortly afterwards. It is one of a series of illustrations commissioned by the Immigration Museum used to tell the story of Mai Ho a Vietnamese 'boat person' who arrived in Australia in the 1970s. Copies of the illustrations were displayed but Thomas decided to donate the originals to the collection. Thomas is also a Vietnamese migrant who arrived in Australian in 1978 after leaving Vietnam.
Description:: Pencil drawing in black and white. The first frame depicts Mai Ho clasping her father's hand while he is on his sick bed, while the second depicts Mai's family planning their escape. The use of black and white conveys the sense of fear and sadness felt by Mai's family during the period immediately following the fall of Saigon.
Acquisition Information:: Donation from Mr Thomas Le, 1999

Discipline:

History

Tagged with:	illustrations, immigration, refugees
Themes this item is part of:	Immigration & Artistic Practice Collection, Mai Ho, Vietnamese Migrant, 1981, Thomas Le, Vietnamese Migrant & Artist, 1980, Migration Collection, Immigration Museum
Primary Classification:	CULTURAL IDENTITY
Secondary Classification:	Ethnicity - Creative Practice
Tertiary Classification:	drawings
Format:	Drawing: Black & White
Artist:	Mr Thomas Le, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1998
Place Used:	Museum Victoria - Immigration Museum, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 1999 Copies of these illustrations were used to tell the story of Mai Ho at the Immigration Museum.
Place & Date Depicted:	Saigon, Vietnam (South), circa 1975 Mai's family first attempted to flee just after the fall of Saigon in 1975.