Le Thuy’s journey to this exhibition, which is organised by the Queensland Art Gallery/Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA)-the public art institution of Queensland, Australia, has been filled with emotions and valuable lessons. It has offered opportunities to learn, reflect on the meaning of art, and understand what she can accomplish in her artistic career. Nhan Dan Cuoi Tuan (Nhan Dan Weekly) publication had the opportunity to interview her.
I have worked by my heart and mind
Q: Following the APT exhibitions from the first edition in 1993 until now, one interesting fact stands out: you are one of only two Vietnamese female artists who have studied and developed their careers entirely within Vietnam to be invited to participate. The experiences and challenges you faced while working with the organisers must have been quite unique, especially on a personal level.
A: Everything started quite simply. At the end of 2022, I received an email from the curator in charge of Southeast Asia for the exhibition expressing interest in visiting my studio during a research trip on Vietnamese art and artists. This was part of their process of advising the APT's artistic council and art director.
When she arrived, my studio had only a few completed pieces and three sets of works in progress. Among them was a set of nine wooden doors from an old house, which I had purchased from a familiar scrap yard. The doors, made of jackfruit wood, had aged and been worn down by time. Their faded colour and rough texture lingered in my mind, evoking thoughts about various aspects of daily life. I decided to bring them back, planning to incorporate lacquer to create "something". The rest of the studio contained a few silk paintings and some experimental works on Lanh My A (a traditional Vietnamese silk fabric). That was all I had, but I shared with the curator my thoughts about the images, symbols, and ideas I wanted to express through my art.
In March 2023, I received the official invitation to participate in the exhibition. From that point, I had just over a year to complete my piece.
Q: "Just over a year" — was that too little time for you?
A: When I first met them, my ideas were still taking shape. The wooden doors, the silk paintings, and the Lanh My A pieces were all in the conceptual stage. Once I received the official invitation, I knew I had to focus on a concrete, time-bound project.
The doors, the house, the past, the present, old objects, broken things, disappearing elements, all these aspects of material and spiritual life resonated with my personal experiences and sparked deep contemplation. Everything blended together, driving me to work with an increasingly clear vision to depict the image and echoes of a traditional home using my own aesthetic language.
Each flower and leaf on the doors was meticulously crafted with lacquer on both sides. Although the designs appear simple, they emerged after hundreds of sketches and careful consideration to ensure harmony. Additionally, my silk paintings required careful thought regarding size, lines, and decisive brushstrokes, even though the actual execution time was limited. The two material pairs — lacquer on wood and ink on silk — contrasted in texture, yet I used them to convey reflections on different perspectives of the world, existence, life and death, and the interconnected relationship between humans and nature.
Q: Did the APT curators provide any guidance or suggestions during your creative process?
A: They showed great respect for the artists’ ideas and approaches. They did not intervene, offer suggestions, or impose directions. Instead, they allowed the artists and their works to find their own breath and life.
However, they provided extensive technical support, particularly in constructing the house framework and installing the lacquer doors in a closed arrangement without affecting the artwork’s surface.
I asked my younger brother to create a 3D rendering of the house-artwork “Tieng vong” and sent the components to the organisers according to the schedule. At the exhibition’s opening, standing in front of the completed house for the first time — nearly three years since I first brought those doors to my studio without knowing what I would create — was an emotional moment. In my studio, I had only been able to assemble the piece in sections.
I recalled all the instances when, even in my dreams, I saw the images I wanted to incorporate into the doors and the silk fabric. I had poured my heart and mind into creating what is, to date, the largest-scale artwork of my career.
 |
Painter Le Thuy |
Le Thuy, who graduated from the Vietnam University of Fine Arts in 2013, is a painter specialising in lacquer and silk. Her work was a finalist for the Sovereign Art Foundation's Asian Art Prize in 2022. A trio of her lacquer works were selected as finalists for the Loewe Craft Prize in 2025 and will be on display at the Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum in Madrid, Spain, from May 30 to June 29.
Art is my greatest passion
Q: This is the largest international art event you have participated in so far. I believe it is not just a stroke of luck but the result of over a decade of dedicated artistic work. How has this experience influenced your perception of art?
A: This entire journey has been an invaluable learning experience. One key realisation is that if you believe in the artistic path you choose, the artwork will gradually reveal itself to you.
I began working on “Tieng Vong” without a clear vision of its final form. However, as I completed each stage, life itself presented new elements that guided me to the next step. The necessary materials and ideas seemed to unfold before me, seamlessly integrating into my work.
Additionally, while touring the entire APT11 exhibition, I noticed that artists in the region are very open to using diverse materials, including fibre and neon lights. Many of the works are much larger than mine, visually striking, and immediately impactful.
Beyond scale, their pieces are also highly refined in form, with clear, direct messages that strongly resonate with viewers. This experience made me realise that I still have much to improve — particularly in refining my ideas and execution to enhance both the aesthetic impact and communicative power of my work.
Q: What does art truly mean to you?
A: It is my greatest passion. I have never envisioned myself doing anything other than creating art in my own way.
You know, every day, we have countless fleeting thoughts in our minds. But when one thought gradually takes shape, becomes a sketch, and ultimately materialises into an artwork, it encapsulates both experience and aesthetic perception — a way of expressing one's view of the external world and inner self. That makes it deeply meaningful and beautiful.
During my time at APT, some Vietnamese visitors told me how emotional they felt upon encountering my work. They saw familiar imagery that resonated with their souls, making them linger and engage more deeply with the piece. That, to me, was profoundly touching.
Thank you for sharing your journey with us!
