Female sculptor Luu Thanh Lan:

She is not only a storyteller with shapes but also a symbol of determination and deep love for art.

Fate with the art of sculpture

Sculptor Luu Thanh Lan was born on March 9, 1971 in Quat Thuong village (Trung Vuong commune, Viet Tri, Phu Tho ), a midland region with green palm forests, tea hills, rice fields, and corn fields. As the youngest child in a family of 9 siblings, from her childhood, Luu Thanh Lan grew up in a space that was always attached to the beauty of paintings and sculptures, naturally through her father's work. Her father was the one who devoted his life to beautifying ancient architectural works and traditional houses in the villages of the Northern Delta.

The impressions of shapes, lines, and colors when working with her father nurtured her dream, and later on, Luu Thanh Lan was determined to pass the entrance exam to the Vietnam University of Fine Arts. Studying with teachers Vuong Hoc Bao, Tran Tia, Dao Chau Hai, Luu Danh Thanh, Nguyen Xuan Thanh and teacher Nguyen Thi Hong, famous sculptors of Vietnam, Luu Thanh Lan was like a seed sown on fertile soil. The flower of art in her blossomed and quickly grew strongly.

Not afraid of hardships, not afraid of hardships, willing to explore and learn, with full energy and enthusiasm of youth, the little girl rolled around with iron, steel, wood, stone and heavy blocks of soil... She toiled to knead soil, break iron to make bones just like a man, even more durable and resilient.

At the end of her student life, Luu Thanh Lan received the prestigious Silver Medal at the 1995 National Fine Arts Exhibition for her work “The Tree of Life”. This was also her final graduation exam, the result of a process of tireless effort and study during 5 years of studying at the Vietnam University of Fine Arts.

Emotions guide the work

In art, finding your own style is extremely difficult, however, creativity is a natural flow that only true artists can grasp and Luu Thanh Lan is one of them.

“In the vast mass of human knowledge, finding your own path is not easy. I look out into the world , search through books, to learn and absorb from the works and authors of world masters such as Michelangelo, Henry Moore, Constantin Brancusi, Auguste Rodin... Looking at domestic art, I learn about village sculpture, Cham sculpture, see the works of sculptors Le Cong Thanh, Ta Quang Bao, Diem Phung Thi, Phan Gia Huong... From there, I found my own path, starting from emotions and letting emotions guide each work” - female sculptor Luu Thanh Lan shared.

The image of Vietnamese women with a "wasp waist" has always been attractive and captured Luu Thanh Lan's mind. She longs to express that beauty not only in daily life but also in love, motherhood and happy family moments. According to her, in the creative process, finding a suitable language of shapes is a difficult problem. The language of shapes not only determines the form of expression but also must be compatible with the content of the work, and at the same time requires careful selection of materials. Wood, stone, ceramic, bronze... each type of material brings her interesting experiences.

With a strong inspiration about love, motherhood, family, childhood and happiness, Luu Thanh Lan seems to be free to roam in the language of sculpture to create a love song praising the Beauty of creation. Works such as "Changing seasons", "Monsoon", "Love story", "Mother's spring", "Warm home", "Mother's love", "Happiness", "Small steps into life", "Washing hair by the stream", "Childhood", "You are spring", "Fishing village"... really touch the emotions of viewers.

As the female artist shared: "I like bronze because of its durability and soft shine, which is very suitable for compositions on the theme of young women". When the opportunity arose, bronze flowed in her works like fish in water, bustling in each block, flexible in each detail. The works "New Moon", "Girl with Cat", "Spring Song", "Girl with Bird", "Tide", "Stream of Hair", "Welcoming the Wind", "Spring Shape",... were born one after another. With a strong block-making style, the base is sturdy and steady, the upper body is light and soft, the horizontal and straight blocks are interwoven, the character's face is turned up to express hope...

Her works about women are mostly nude, but not naked, but on the contrary, they are carefully selected and carved to create a very delicate beauty. The theme of the mother, carrying the idea of strength to protect the family and boundless love for her children, is the theme that runs through most of her works. The works: "Warm home", "Mother and child", "Mother's love", "Mother and child", "Mother's spring", "Lullaby on the back", "Lullaby", "Sweet mother's milk", "Afternoon dream", "Welcoming spring"... originate from the abundant inspiration of female sculptor Luu Thanh Lan for this theme.

Forever passionate about the art game

Sculpture is a tough and harsh art form. For male artists, the difficulty is one, but for female artists, it is ten times more difficult. However, for Luu Thanh Lan, the more difficulties she faces, the more determined she is to pursue them. “There are many difficulties, so sometimes I myself have thoughts of discouragement. Many good ideas have arisen, but when expressing them, they do not achieve the desired results, so I have to destroy them. At that time, I feel confused, even have to pause to find a new direction. I always have to overcome such challenges to create works that are always new and different. The changes when researching and creating are always fascinating and occupy all my time and thoughts. And that is how I overcame difficulties and discouragement,” confided female sculptor Luu Thanh Lan.

The feminine qualities and instincts in her sculptures are sometimes gentle and sweet, sometimes full of fire. The fullness in the shapes is exaggerated by the female sculptor to highlight the radiant femininity of women, contrasting with the curvaceous, abstract, and thorny shapes. In Luu Thanh Lan's sculptures, viewers can see the beauty of modern thinking and style, hidden inside is the inherent femininity and gentleness of women, which can be seen through: "Remembering the sea", "Fairyland", "Case of 3 people", "Spring flower branch", "People in the city", "Lullaby", "Happy day", "Moon of love", "Unload", "Peaceful day", "Tide"... Each work tells a story or is her perspective on the human fates she has met, on joy, sadness, on love conveyed through shapes, through artistic language with materials: Bronze, wood, stone, pottery, porcelain...

Work: Garden in the city (connoisseur - 2024).

In 2022, Luu Thanh Lan organized her first solo exhibition titled "Spring Dream" at the Exhibition House 16 Ngo Quyen, Hanoi , displaying more than 100 representative works. In 2024, she launched the book "Luu Thanh Lan Sculpture" which compiled 200 artworks, which is also a narrative about her relentless creative journey. On May 10, 2025, Luu Thanh Lan continued to introduce herself to art lovers with her second solo exhibition titled "Fertility Space" at the Peony & Iris art space 197+199 Ton Duc Thang, Dong Da, Hanoi. The exhibition will display nearly 100 works and collections of works, most of which are her latest creations from 2023 to present.

With over 30 years of dedication to art, in a harsh field that few female artists pursue, Luu Thanh Lan has affirmed her solid position thanks to her talent, perseverance and passion. She has found her own path, overcoming constraints, constraints and prejudices to freely create and play with the shapes of sculpture. Luu Thanh Lan is not only an artist who tells stories through shapes but also a symbol of determination and deep love for art. She has been and continues to enjoy playing in that artistic game, and that game has never ended.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/nu-nghe-si-dieu-khac-luu-thanh-lan-ton-vinh-cai-dep-bang-hinh-khoi-701972.html