The Word Ha Noi

You are 21 years old. You are somewhere between completely self-conscious and falsely over confident, you say ridiculous things to be liked or to avoid injuring your pride. For most people, settling into an honest skin takes several years of searching and negotiating. But for Quang Van, it would seem that in his 21 short years, he’s already found a skin that he’s quite comfortable in.

The Onion Cellar are on a mission. They want to make you cry. Not alone, but collectively — together and in public.

"I was born here,” says artist George Burchett, his arms making a sweeping movement over the expanse of Truc Bach Lake.

Nguyen Anh Tan has many names. Mr. Tan, Papa Tan and Tan Hang Bac are just some. He’ll write them in Chinese for you, unprompted, just to clarify. He’s probably got more nicknames, too, that surface once you hang around long enough.

Words by Kaitlin Rees. Photo by Aaron Joel Santos