The comic book La vie est belle - Life is still beautiful - Photo: TRUC NHI
The work is a graphic autobiography, recording the beautiful memories of Le Thu during a special period of her life, when she participated in the La vie est belle summer camp.
Love is present in the little things.
"La vie est belle" in the story is a real place; she explained that it's the name of a homestay established by a French couple. Le Thu came here to participate in a summer camp as a volunteer, teaching children, and spent about eight months creating this comic book.
According to her, that period was a journey of unraveling emotional knots to once again see the world through the innocent eyes of a child. And the children who came to the summer camp were there to "set an example" for adults who had forgotten how to be happy.
Le Thu recounted that there was a time when she was deeply saddened by the breakup of a long-term relationship, which made her feel insecure and doubt her own self-worth.
"I used to think I had given so much love but received nothing in return. But when I'm with the children, I realize that you don't need to try hard; love comes naturally," she shared with Tuoi Tre Online .
The comic features simple, relatable illustrations and a warm storytelling style - Photo: TRUC NHI
The entire story is told through simple and lovely black-and-white drawings. Le Thu jokingly says that if the drawings are a bit "sloppy," it's not because she's lazy, but because of her "artistic intention." "I want the drawing style to be simple so that the content stands out, instead of drawing too much attention to the illustrations," she says.
What Le Thu loved most about the story lay in the very small details: the feeling of muddy feet on a rainy day, the vast, windy fields, or the taste of the cake that the children shared with her.
Those moments made her realize that love is everywhere, and that she had found where she belonged.
Even when feeling sad, one should still live a healthy life.
Le Thu said she is very forgetful, so drawing is her way of preserving memories. "The more I draw, the more stories I remember. And then I realize that I actually have so many memorable things," she said.
She recalled that, besides spending time with the children, she also "relearned how to live" during her time at the summer camp by practicing meditation, yoga, vegetarianism, slow living, and learning to have a dialogue with herself. From this emerged the only named character in the story - "Little Thu" - whom she calls "the inner child".
Le Thu added that her journey at the summer camp led her to a "great discovery ": if you want to overcome grief, you must first learn to love yourself.
Artist Le Thu shared her thoughts at the book launch - Photo: TRUC NHI
To young people with wounded hearts, she shared a simple message: "Even when you're sad, you should still live a healthy life." Instead of lying in bed, go for a walk and breathe in the fresh air. The less you feel like eating, the more you should eat on time. The less you want to go out, the more you should put on makeup, dress nicely, and meet other people.
"When you maintain a normal rhythm of life and take good care of your body, at some point, your body will support your mind so that it gradually heals," she said.
Artist Le Thu, whose full name is Le Thi Anh Thu, currently lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City. She is a familiar face in the Vietnamese illustration community.
Le Thu has created numerous illustrated books, book covers, and even social media sticker sets. In 2018, her illustrated work, "My Saigon," won the B Prize at the National Book Awards.
She also writes and draws her own works, including "To You," "Blindfolded Cat Catching," "Cat Chasing Mouse ," and most recently, "La vie est belle - Life Is Still Beautiful ."
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/sau-nhung-noi-buon-cuoc-doi-van-dep-sao-20251213170329507.htm
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