This week, we start off in London, taking a look at artworks by Vietnamese Contemporary artists that are being exhibited as part of the ongoing events for Asian Art in London, from October 31–November 9, 2013. We then check out a retrospective of the acclaimed photographer, Diane Arbus (American, 1923–1971) in San Francisco, CA that draws attention to Arbus’s uncanny ability to produce images that surreptitiously document the idiosyncrasies of the varied individuals she encountered during her brief but prolific stretch as a photographer. Worlds of Paper and Wood, Asian Art in London will be on view on October 31 at 32 Store Street, London WC1E 7BS, UK.

Vu Thu Hien, Softness of Scarlet, 2011, watercolor on handmade paper, Raquelle Azran – Vietnamese Contemporary Art, New York, NY.

For over two decades, collector and dealer, Raquelle Azran has been dedicated to promoting Vietnamese Contemporary Art on an international level, curating shows throughout America, Europe, and Asia of established and emerging talent from Vietnam. Worlds of Paper and Wood is an exhibition Azran has organized in London to celebrate the 16th installment of Asian Art in London, an annual event that brings together gallerists, auction houses, and experts for 10 days of activities geared toward educating the public on the growing market of Asian Art and its exponential influence on the London art scene. The artworks by five Vietnamese Contemporary artists currently working in Hanoi, Vietnam’s capital, explore the practice of combining traditional aesthetics with current techniques and vice versa. Oriental motifs, abstract landscapes, and jagged figures are prevalent in Azran’s selection, which includes watercolors, woodblock prints, and lacquer paintings on wood by artists Vu Thu Hien (Vietnamese, b.1970), Phung Pham (Vietnamese, b.1934), and Vu Duc Trung (Vietnamese, b.1981). Diane Arbus 1971–1956 will be on view on October 31 at 49 Geary Street, 4th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94108.

Diane Arbus, Two Ladies at the Automat, N.Y.C., 1966, gelatin silver print, ©The Estate of Diane Arbus, Fraenkel Gallery, San Francisco, CA.

In San Francisco, Fraenkel Gallery presents viewers with an original exhibition of Diane Arbus’s photographic oeuvre entitled Diane Arbus 1971–1956, which showcases one photograph for each year of the artist’s career before her untimely death in 1971. Apart from the artist’s technical development through the years, the exhibition places importance on Arbus’s sensitivity to the singular qualities of people from all walks of life in settings that seem to further highlight the traits that set them apart. In Two Ladies at the Automat, N.Y.C., 1966, a pair of boldly dressed older women gaze into the camera; amused and undisturbed, each holds a cigarette in opposite hands. We are led to believe that they purchased cigarettes from one of the vending machines at the automat where they candidly posed for their portrait.

Browse openings by city to see where art can be found in your town!

Basel, Switzerland
Marc Rembold: Absolut Red at Laleh June Galerie
October 31–November 3, 2013
Picassoplatz 4, 4052 Basel, Switzerland

London, UK
Jon Thompson: Simple Paintings at Anthony Reynolds Gallery
October 31–December 7, 2013
60 Great Marlborough Street, London, W1F 7BG UK

Paris, France
Thierry Fontaine ‘La part de l’autre’ at Galerie Filles du Calvaire
October 31–November 30, 2013
17 rue des Filles-du-Calvaire, 75003 Paris, France

San Francisco, CA
Monir Farmanfarmaian: The First Family at Haines Gallery
October 31–December 21, 2013
49 Geary Street, Suite 540, San Francisco, CA 94108

Singapore, Singapore
Nan Qi: AUTHORITY SEX MONEY at Art Plural Gallery
October 31–November 23, 2013
39 Armenian Street, Singapore, 179942 Singapore

Stockholm, Sweden
Angela de la Cruz: Burst (Stockholm) at Wetterling Gallery
October 31–December 13, 2013
Kungstradgarden 3, 11147 Stockholm, Sweden

Zurich, Switzerland
TERCERUNQUINTO: Estrategia y ánimo at Galerie Peter Kilchmann
October 31–December 21, 2013
Zahnradstrasse 21, 8005 Zurich, Switzerland

Lori Hersberger: Bag Day at Galerie Clemens Gunzer
October 31–November 24, 2013
Titlisstrasse 29, 8032 Zurich, Switzerland