Meet Anna Vu

Acclaimed Paris-based artist Anna Vu has eaten at pretty much every restaurant you've ever dreamed of.

Meet Anna Vu: an acclaimed Paris-based artist whose dining CV is nothing short of Michelin-class. The former art director at Gourmet Traveller magazine, Anna is best-known for her project Good Food Crap Drawing – a collection of immaculate drawings in lurid Faber Castell connector pens of famous dishes from fine restaurants around the world. Anna has lived and exhibited in Berlin, New York Sydney, and now Paris - where a selection of her work was exhibited at The Hoxton. We spoke to her about her Doechii obsession, the giant meat pie paper mache sculptures she made for Mambo, and where we should all be eating in Paris right now.

Can you tell me a bit about your background? Where did you grow up, where do you live now and what happened in between?

I was born in Sydney, but my parents emigrated from Vietnam by boat with my older sister (I also have a younger brother). We grew up in the south-western suburbs of Sydney where my parents worked several jobs. At one point my dad owned a Vietnamese/Australian bakery selling very 'typical' baked goods such as meat pies, vanilla slices and also banh mi (which just means bread in Vietnamese). Unfortunately my dad had to sell the bakery after a few years, but I still remember the smell and taste of the banh mi which I would eat hot, just seconds after it had come out of the oven. My mum is also an amazing cook, I would always be found by her side peeling cloves of garlic with my tiny fingers in the kitchen.

Anna in her Paris apartment wearing the Pirate Black Original Unisex T-Shirt.

I guess these early memories were just the start of what would become an ongoing passion for food in my life. I went on to study design at COFA, UNSW where I interned at Vogue and fell in love with publishing and upon graduating got a job as a junior designer at Australian Gourmet Traveller. At the same time I moved out of home and for the first time discovered the world of restaurants and cooking for oneself and absolutely loved it. After five years, I couldn't ignore my urge anymore and moved to New York and for a short year.

I think it was in New York that I started drawing the amazing food I was eating after being unemployed for the majority of the time I was there. I then was offered the role of Art Director back at Gourmet Traveller, a dream job, so I moved back to Sydney but kept drawing. It was my relief from work and being on a computer all day. I was also constantly surrounded by food, at the office, photoshoots and restaurants, so I had plenty of material to draw from.

Cafe del Flore by Anna Vu, exhibited at The Hoxton hotel in Paris

After another five years I got the travel bug again, quit the job that I loved and moved to Berlin and went freelance. Rent was super cheap, so I could spend more time drawing, I also assisted in kitchens, ran some pop-up food events with a chef friend and enjoyed a different pace in life. After a few years (and Covid) I finally had the guts to move to my dream city of Paris where I live now as an artist - and every day I am still amazed that I live here.

How would you describe Good Food Crap Drawing?

Good Food Crap Drawing is a collection of memories of good times, good food and the good friends I've been able to share these meals with. It's also an homage to the chefs and the people behind the food.

The opening of Anna's exhibition at The Hoxton in Paris: 'Meals In Paris'

What’s been your favourite creative project to date?

It still has to be these large-scale paper mache sculptures I did of a meat pie and a finger bun for a Mambo tuckshop pop-up event in Bondi Beach. I was obsessed with paper mache when I was young and my high-school major art project was even a paper mache/plaster sculpture, so being able to work in this medium was just like being able to play as a kid again!

Anna's giant paper mache meat pie and finger bun sculptures for Mambo.

Top three eats in the past 12 months?

My top three in no particular order would be any dish from Le Cheval d'Or, the puntarelle pizza from Le Rigmarole, and the bone marrow oysters and coal-roasted scallops from Stissing House.

What’s your secret vice?

Fish fingers. They are always on hand in my freezer.