Dominique de Miscault embodies a rare bond between a French artist and Viet Nam — not merely through creative inspiration, but through an enduring, profound, and deeply human affection.
When she first set foot in Ha Noi in 1992, Dominique carried neither a grand project nor a concrete plan, only a clear sense that Viet Nam was waiting for her. She was drawn to the country’s simple beauty, spiritual depth, and everyday life. That initial aesthetic impression and emotional resonance became a lasting source of inspiration, commencing a journey that has spanned more than three decades, during which she has repeatedly returned to Viet Nam to live among its people, observe, and create.
Through Dominique de Miscault’s lens, Viet Nam appears not as a tourist destination or a land of spectacle, but as a landscape of memory — simple, quiet, and profound. It is not merely a country that has endured war, but also a symbol of peace, inner strength, and enduring faith.
I was not born in Viet Nam, but every time I come here, I feel as if I am returning home,
Artist, photographer and writer Dominique de Miscault
On August 12, 2025, in Paris, Dominique de Miscault launched her photo book “Việt Nam - Un Voyage Mémoriel” (Viet Nam — A Journey of Memory). Eschewing narrative structure or chronological order, the photographs she captured from the 1990s to the early 2000s form fragments of memory — emotional impressions of streets, faces, seated figures, hands and light. “I was not born in Viet Nam, but every time I come here, I feel I am returning home,” reads the book’s moving opening statement.
Dominique’s photographs are unstaged. She does not shoot to narrate or embellish, but to preserve a Viet Nam that is intimate, tranquil, and compassionate. Each image serves as a mirror of memory, reflecting a country undergoing daily transformation while steadfastly preserving its soul.
Having travelled to many countries, she considers Viet Nam the one that has moved her most deeply. She witnessed the years before the advent of the internet and mobile phones, as well as the Viet Nam of today — dynamic and modern, yet faithful to its traditional values.
Released to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the August Revolution (August 19, 1945 – August 19, 2025) and the National Day of Viet Nam (September 2, 1945 – September 2, 2025), “Viet Nam – A Journey of Memory” is more than a photo collection. It stands as a vivid testament to the power of cultural soft power — where personal memory, photography and cultural narrative converge to preserve and share Vietnamese values with international audiences.
Through this book, Dominique de Miscault hopes readers around the world will experience the beauty of the Vietnamese land and its people — a nation both resilient and compassionate, always striving towards peace and the future.
She has held more than 20 solo exhibitions on Viet Nam in France, Viet Nam and Russia. These exhibitions not only capture visible beauty but also explore the deeper layers of a transforming Vietnamese society — from rural villages to urban centres, from traditional culture to the folk practices of both minority and majority communities.
Beyond exhibitions, Dominique de Miscault has authored or co-authored several significant artistic works, including the commemorative stele marking the Paris Peace Accords, inaugurated in Choisy-le-Roi on the 40th anniversary of the signing (January 27, 1973 – January 27, 2013). She is also the author of the documentary “Ho Chi Minh – Aspiration for Peace”, produced in collaboration with Viet Nam Television, portraying a humane Viet Nam consistently oriented towards reconciliation.
For Dominique de Miscault, her love for Viet Nam is intertwined with a sense of responsibility: contributing to the preservation and promotion of heritage and actively fostering cultural exchange between Viet Nam and France. Together with Dr Hoang Thi Hong Ha — who compiled the captions, commentaries, and introduction for “Viet Nam – A Journey of Memory” — she co-founded the Association of Vietnamese Quintessence in France with the aim of safeguarding and developing traditional culture, particularly that of Viet Nam’s ethnic minority communities.
She continues to connect artists, researchers and artisans to promote Vietnamese culture, and has participated in the design of several symbolic public art projects in Viet Nam, including the Ha Noi Ceramic Mosaic Mural, recognised by Guinness World Records.
Dominique de Miscault often says, “Thank you, Viet Nam — not only as a land that fought tirelessly for freedom, but as a living memory, a kindred spirit, and an inexhaustible source of inspiration.”
