‘Kiss Me’ is a large contemporary oil on canvas portrait painting of vertical format, created by Vietnamese artist Nguyen Van Cuong in 2016. Featuring a soft palette made of grey and taupe with red accents, the painting showcases the portrait in close view of an elegant Vietnamese woman. Looking at us directly with a distant look, she is characterized by a hairdo reminiscent of the 1920s and an impeccable complexion. Her ample bosom and angular shoulders highlight the oversized depiction of her head. In Cuong’s own words: "My paintings are an attempt to show the contradiction between who women are and who they make themselves up to be. They address contradictions: femininity versus frivolity, truth versus fallacy, purity versus vulgarity, and true beauty versus a sheath of deception … Unframed, this vertical oil on canvas painting will bring a modern touch of elegance to any home, whether placed above a sofa, console table or credenza.

Nguyen Van Cuong was born in 1976 in Bac Giang Province, Vietnam. He graduated from the Fine Art Teachers College in 1995 and at the top of his class from the Hanoi Fine Art University in 1999. He is currently a lecturer at the National College of Music and Painting. Cuong has had over 15 solo and group exhibitions since 1997 and has won numerous honors and awards including first prize in 1996 (Propaganda Paintings) and in 2011 (Self Portraiture). Nguyen Van Cuong primary medium is oil on canvas and he paints in a number of styles.