Ms. Karine Bonneval
Using paper chromatography, Karine meticulously records the seemingly fragile yet profoundly deep connections between humans and the plant world within the modern cityscape.
Telling stories about flowers
At the "Hoa Tay" exhibition by Karine Bonneval (55 years old), held in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of July, a memory captured from a Vietnamese participant in the project attracted the attention of visitors: "My childhood was connected to a small village in the Mekong Delta, where everything revolved around the water. Along the riverbanks, there were many edible wild vegetables, such as water hyacinth - a plant that has become a part of our cultural memory."
I also remember the times I rowed a boat with my father to pick water hyacinth flowers to cook with. In the city, whenever I see aquatic plants in a lake or along the riverbank, I feel a sense of calm, a connection… A connection between humans and plants that is gradually fading in the whirlwind of modernization…”.
Artist Karine Bonneval poses for a photo with attendees at the Hoa Tay exhibition - Photo by NGOC DONG
At the exhibition, Karine displayed 25 wind chimes that she handcrafted from Vietnamese clay, more than half of which contained stories about flowers in the memories of the Vietnamese people.
Earlier, starting in June, Karine came to Ho Chi Minh City to work on her project through "Villa Saigon" - an art residency program (providing logistical and financial support) for artists who are French citizens or residing in France, aiming to promote artistic dialogue between France and Vietnam.
For nearly a month, Karine invited people living in Ho Chi Minh City to participate in her project by telling her a story related to a flower they loved.
In each conversation, which lasted about 30 minutes, the female artist sat opposite, silently listening to each memory evoked, each emotion conveyed through stories about water hyacinths, wild sunflowers, flamboyant trees, magnolias, and more.
Those memories became the material Karine used to create wind chimes, with the bell's dome molded from Vietnamese clay, inspired by the shape of flower petals in the story.
A bell-shaped soil sample is a thin strip of paper on which the colors of a flower are reproduced using chromatography on paper – a method invented around the 1950s, before modern electronic devices existed, to analyze soil quality and components such as fungi, minerals, and proteins.
Artist Karine Bonneval guides participants through chromatography practice at her Hoa Tay exhibition and workshop - Photo by NGOC DONG
Although inspired by an age-old method, Karine spent months experimenting with paper, materials, weight, and proportions to find a way to apply it to pollen and petals, transforming it into an original creation intrinsically linked to her artistic practice.
With the Hand Flower project, Karine uses that technique to bring to life the pigments hidden deep within each petal. It's a process that's both scientific and artistic, she explains.
First, Karine soaks the chopped flower petals in a special solution, then strains out the petals, keeping only the liquid that has absorbed the flower's essence. Next, she dips a special type of paper, treated with diluted silver nitrate—a photosensitive compound that helps fix the color when exposed to sunlight—into it.
Over a period of about 50 minutes, the pigments from the solution gradually spread across the paper. Then, the paper is left to dry in the sun for a week to allow the colors to fully stabilize. The result is unique floral "portraits"—as Karine calls them—where layers of color, veins, and shades reveal the unique chemical composition of each flower.
Artist Karine Bonneval guides participants through chromatography practice at her Hoa Tay exhibition and workshop - Photo by NGOC DONG
"What's special here is that each flower produces a different range of colors and patterns. Even the same species of flower, when grown in different places, can produce different colors because the soil, water quality, and many other factors can affect the colors displayed in chromatography," the artist shared.
A small, sun-drenched room on the third floor of a house in the heart of Ho Chi Minh City has become Karine's creative workshop, where she meticulously processes each flower petal, mixes chemicals, and kneads clay to shape each wind chime.
She sees each wind chime as a tiny dot on a map that preserves the emotions of the city's inhabitants, formed from their personal memories and the familiar flowers they love.
Each piece in the project takes a considerable amount of time to create, because in addition to processing the petals, Karine also has to sculpt them with clay and then fire them twice. However, for Karine, the meticulous process, which lasts many days for each piece, helps her regulate her life and connect with nature.
"For me, using handcrafted techniques is very important. It's a way for us, modern people living in such a fast-paced life, to get closer to the rhythm of plants," Karine shared.
Artist Karine Bonneval guides participants through chromatography practice at her Hoa Tay exhibition and workshop - Photo by NGOC DONG
A reminder of nature in the heart of the city.
According to Karrine, in big cities, it's easy for people to feel disconnected from the plant world. Yet, plants are incredibly essential to our lives. They provide oxygen, shade, nutrients, and healing properties.
"Through this sound installation, I hope to gently remind people of those close and vital connections, a reminder of nature, even when we are living in the midst of a bustling city," the artist shared.
Besides collecting flowers from the stories of the city's residents, Karine also wandered around, picking up fallen flowers to bring into the project, as a way for her to explore the city where she was staying.
The French artist said she had long wanted to visit Vietnam, but she thought that if she came as a tourist, she wouldn't have the opportunity to interact with and understand the local people. It wasn't until she came across the Villa Saigon program of the French Institute in Vietnam that she decided to apply and was selected.
These wind chimes were created by artist Karine Bonneval at her residence - Photo by NGOC DONG
"Vietnamese people have a very strong traditional connection with flowers, especially during Tet (Vietnamese New Year) and ancestor worship ceremonies. These rituals demonstrate a special cultural connection with plants, very different from what I've seen in Europe," Karine Bonneval explains the reason she undertook the Hoa Tay project in Vietnam, a country with many famous flower villages, while many types of flowers in France are usually imported from abroad.
"I have a feeling that a deep appreciation for flowers is deeply ingrained in the Vietnamese psyche. In a rapidly developing and highly urbanized city like Ho Chi Minh City, I'm curious to find out if that connection is still as strong as it is in rural areas or places with stronger traditions," she shared.
Another thing that the French artist found extremely interesting was that, after researching, she learned that in Vietnamese there is a concept called "hoa tay" (handicraft), which coincidentally perfectly matches the way she makes wind chimes with her own hands.
"That's how inspiration comes. It comes from within, from what we're doing, and from how our minds connect everything and then urge us to do it," Karine explained.
Each wind chime carries not only the memories of the storyteller but also the many emotions of the artist who created them. Karine said she was truly moved by the memories that people shared.
The artwork is on display at the "Flower of Hands" exhibition by French artist Karine Bonneval - Photo by NGOC DONG
"For over ten years, I have been collecting stories related to plants and flowers. This 'Flower of the Hand' project has helped me gain a deeper understanding of how ecological and cultural elements intertwine in urban environments."
"This experience also helped me better define my approach to memory, biodiversity, and transmission through sensory and poetic forms," Karine confided. "Indirectly, this project further reinforced my desire to continue researching art and science while remaining involved in community activities."
Before coming to Vietnam, the cuisine was the first thing that introduced her to the country because Vietnamese food is very popular in France.
"Coming to Vietnam has given me the opportunity to experience firsthand the diverse lifestyles of the people here. I've had many meaningful conversations about the ecology, culture, and beauty of Vietnam."
"I also met many young people full of aspirations for a sustainable future, who are deeply aware of the fragility of nature and the importance of preserving the quality of life for all living beings. I hope I can return soon and continue to collaborate with them," Karine shared.
The French artist said she would spend the final days of her stay visiting places she had always wanted to see in Vietnam. Afterwards, her unique wind chimes – a creation of flowers, earth, and a deep connection to the Vietnamese spirit – would return to France with her, with the hope that one day they would be featured in an international exhibition.
"I want to fully document my work through photographs and share them on my website and social media, so I can introduce them to curators for upcoming exhibitions," the artist confided.
Exhibitions in many countries
This isn't the first time Karine has incorporated flowers and fragments of memories into her project. For the past 10 years, the artist has been working on a larger project called "Memory with Plants and Flowers" in various locations, most recently Quebec (Canada) two years ago.
Karine Bonneval graduated from the National School of Art in Angoulême and the Strasbourg School of Decorative Arts in France. Her projects often involve collaborations with prestigious scientific groups such as the Institute for Diversity, Ecology and Evolution (IDEEV) and Cornell University (USA), exploring new ways for humans to interact with nature and the living world. Her work has been widely exhibited in many places around the world, including France, Germany, the USA, and Argentina.
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NGOC DONG
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/nghe-si-nguoi-phap-karine-bonneval-luu-giu-ky-uc-hoa-cua-nguoi-viet-20250826164604328.htm
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