The "Beautiful Life" of Two Female Artists

Two creative journeys, two distinct paths of two artists, Trang Thanh Hien and Tran Phuong Ly, converge in the exhibition "Beautiful Life," which opened on the afternoon of May 6th at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum. With all their passion, they have created a fascinating and diverse exhibition showcasing various levels of color and artistic language.

The exhibition "Beautiful Life" opened on the afternoon of May 6th at the Vietnam Fine Arts Museum and will run until May 10th, 2026.

These paintings are filled with ideas about enlightenment.

Associate Professor Dr. Quách Thị Ngọc An, a lecturer at the Central University of Arts Education, commented, “‘The Beautiful Life’ is not just an affirmative theme, but also an open question about where that beauty lies? Is it in contemplation, introspection with a meditative quality; or in the powerful movement of emotions, structure, and contemporary visual language?”

Continuing her journey of reflecting and refracting life through the lens of culture and spirituality, artist Trang Thanh Hien – Deputy Head of the Department of Art Theory, History and Criticism, Vietnam Fine Arts University – presents 24 works in her familiar style: ink on dó paper combined with printing and woodblock printing. The works are the culmination of research into ancient Vietnamese art and Buddhist art. The use of handcrafted paper, ink, and symbolic elements such as lotus flowers, Buddha images, and folk motifs creates a world that is both tranquil and imbued with inner turmoil.

"The Ephemeral Flower 2", handmade paper by Trang Thanh Hien

Artist Trang Thanh Hien said that studying Buddhist art, reading and understanding the messages of her ancestors, has given her wings to paint pictures brimming with the idea of ​​enlightenment. “ The Beautiful Life exhibition can be seen as marking a journey where that enlightenment blossoms, allowing me to better understand myself in the world of painting – a connection between the past, present, and future.”

The lotus flower, lotus leaves, and Sala flower motifs have been multi-dimensionally transformed, layered, and interconnected by the artist within rhythmic open spaces. With their symmetrical dimensions, these narrative arrangements evoke the mandala structures found in Buddhist art, converging and spreading elements around a spiritual axis. Alongside the familiar black and white tones, the artist has created variations with vibrant pop art colors such as pink and purple.

Pink clouds, handmade paper by Trang Thanh Hien

According to Associate Professor Dr. Quách Thị Ngọc An, this change "not only softens the structure and expands the emotional range of the work, but also creates a rhythm of color rich in feminine character and forms a connection between the two artists at two different extremes of personality."

Open , multifaceted, and distinctly international.

Having experienced multiculturalism, growing up in Vietnam, studying in Russia, and living in the United States, artist Tran Phuong Ly - Ly Tran brings a different energy to "Beautiful Life": open, multifaceted, and distinctly international. The 26 oil paintings featured in this exhibition mark a significant shift in her artistic practice. From highly expressive paintings where color and brushstrokes become direct means of conveying emotion, to a series of works in what the artist calls "Organic Cubism," demonstrating an effort to create a new visual language.

"The Garden Is Breathing," an oil painting by Tran Phuong Ly.

The images are fragmented, restructured, and blended into the soft, rhythmic movements of living bodies, nature, and the flow of energy—where all elements exist in a state of continuous cycle, connection, and interaction. In particular, the "Yin-Yang Earth" series of works, with its circular form and balanced structure, becomes a symbol of the harmonious movement of the world.

Associate Professor Dr. Quách Thị Ngọc An believes that the encounter between two artists is sometimes not about physical similarity but about a deep resonance in their souls. They seem to be both striving to identify their own selves, both seeking enduring values ​​in a contemporary life full of changes.

Life Cycle, oil painting by Tran Phuong Ly

“If Trang Thanh Hien draws from tradition to reflect on the present, Tran Phuong Ly uses cross-cultural experiences to create new structures of emotion and thought. Life is therefore a journey of awareness in which viewers are invited to step into different layers of beauty: from stillness to movement, from intuition to reason, from the individual to broader connections with culture and the world,” Associate Professor Dr. Quach Thi Ngoc An analyzed.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/cuoc-life-tuoi-dep-cua-2-nu-hoa-si-10415979.html