Biography

Full name: Nguyen Thanh Hai
Nick name: Maika Elan
Occupation: Freelance Photographer
Year of birth: 1986
Location based: Hanoi, Vietnam

After study sociology at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities in Hanoi, Maika started to use the camera, and then Lomo’s family cameras, to take pictures of her daily and private life since 2006. She turned to professional photography soon starting collaborations for editorial clients and fashion firms in Vietnam. In 2010 Maika moved to documentary photography and her first project called The Pink Choice, focused on personal life of gay couples in Vietnam, has been published in many magazines on print and online such as in USA, UK, Germany, Italy, Romania, Spain, China, India and Brazil. Maika Elan was double-awarded for the “best photo essay” and the “best single photo” in 2010 at Indochina Media Memorial Foundation and in 2012 The Pink Choice was finalist at Asian Women Photographers.

Her first solo exhibition has been hosted at Goethe Institut in Hanoi in 2012.

The Pink Choice won 1st prize stories, Contemporary Issues, at World Press Photo 2013.

Maika Elan is represented by MoST, a photo agency in Bangkok, Thailand

Exhibitions:
2013

CHOBI MELA, Dhaka, Bangladesh.

2012

THE PINK CHOICE, Goethe Institut, Hanoi, Vietnam.
WORLD EVENT YOUNG ARTISTS, Nottingham, UK.

2009

EMERGENCY ROOM, Hanoi, Vietnam.
CREATIVE ECONOMIES, Kulalumpur, Malaysia.

Experiences and Award:
2013

The Pink Choice won 1st prize stories, Contemporary Issues, at World Press Photo 2013.
Chobi Mela Festival in Darka, Bangladesh

2012
World Events Young Artist Festival in Nottingham, UK
Foundry Photojournalism Workshop in Chiang Mai, Thailand

2010
Angkor Photo Workshop in Siem Reap, Cambodia
Indochina Media Memorial Foundation (IMMF) workshop in Hanoi,Vietnam

2009
Emergency Room exhibition format in Hanoi, Vietnam
Kuala Lumpur Photography Festival
Creative Economies workshop at the Asia-Europe Forum for Young Photographers in Kular Lumpur, Malaysia