The solo in-situ installation entitled Coming Back opened on January 9 in PAM Hill, in Chieng Di Village, Van Ho Commune, Van Ho District, Son La.

The hexagon signifies a loom with the organza the fabrics spilling out of it, adding beautiful strips of colour to the green and foggy hill. At night, multicoloured lights illuminate the sheer fabrics, adding even more dimensions to the artwork.

SPECTACULAR: A close-up of the Coming Back on-site installation illuminated at night. Photo from the Facebook of Kieu Minh Tuan

The artist, originally from Thanh Oai District of Hanoi, has spent the majority of her life in the mountainous northwest. 

The title Coming Back refers to her return to herself, her childhood and Mother Nature and she said the abstract art piece aims to blend in with nature. 

The idea for this installation came from her encounter with Pho An My, a great pianist who recently relocated to Son La, where Thu Tran spent her formative years. It was Pho An My and her attempt to breathe new life into traditional folk music that inspired Thu Tran to return home and to create contemporary art. 

While this isn’t her first exhibition using organza or the theme of weaving, Thu Tran felt especially connected to Pho An My and decided to place her artwork at PAM Hill Homestay. 

Her mentor, Ly Truc Son, commented at the opening ceremony on Saturday night: “Thu Tran is an emotional, yet strong and stouthearted woman. To create art depends on a lot of emotions, but to install it like she did requires grit to complete the artwork.” 

Thu Tran said: “The installation process took 11 challenging days to complete. Standing on steep hilltops, I stumbled and hurt myself countless times. The wind and rain sometimes blew the fabric away, requiring restoration. Coming Back posed great threats to my physical health.”

The patterns on the organza were inspired by local Mong and Thai ethnic motifs, with additional inspiration from groundwater flows, streams, springs and clouds. VNS

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