Cover Ngo Thanh Van has officially introduced herself to the public in an entirely new light as a painter
Ngo Thanh Van has officially introduced herself to the public in an entirely new light as a painter
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Ngo Thanh Van, producer, director and the “action woman” of Vietnamese cinema, has officially introduced herself to the public in an entirely new light: as a painter. Her first personal charity art project, Initiation – The Beginning, marks this debut.
The exhibition presents a collection of paintings created by Ngo Thanh Van during her pregnancy; a sacred yet turbulent time, both physically and emotionally, as she embraced her role as a mother. Though she does not consider herself a professional artist, she turned to painting as a way to tell her own story: honest, vivid, and deeply personal. This marks the first time she has used visual art as a form of emotional expression, signalling a soulful turning point in her creative evolution.
See also: Quynh Pham, founder of Galerie Quynh: “Respect patience when practising art” or Artist Trung Nghia and the journey of reviving beauty from ashes
Above The Beginning captures the breadth of emotions Ngo Thanh Van experienced
Above The Beginning captures the breadth of emotions Ngo Thanh Van experienced
The Beginning captures the breadth of emotions Ngo Thanh Van experienced
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Inspired by the arduous in vitro fertilisation (IVF) process, Initiation – The Beginning captures the breadth of emotions Ngo Thanh Van experienced, from cautious hope to deep despair and eventual, overwhelming joy. Injections, physical pain, quiet fears and racing thoughts, each became vivid material for her brush. For Vietnam’s iconic screen heroine, painting became a way to preserve not only the tenderness of maternal instinct, but also the quiet resilience of a woman in her forties.
Speaking about the actress’s body of work, artist Tran Trung Linh, curator of the collection, shared: “Ngo Thanh Van expresses her inner world in a pure and unfiltered manner through each stroke. She does not dwell too long on what to say, but instead lets colour and movement take the lead. In expressive painting, the rawness of emotion becomes its own kind of power. Her paintings are mirrors she quietly places before herself for reflection. In the simplest way.”
Above Ngo Thanh Van expresses her inner world in a pure and unfiltered manner through each stroke
Ngo Thanh Van expresses her inner world in a pure and unfiltered manner through each stroke
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Above Ngo Thanh Van expresses her inner world in a pure and unfiltered manner through each stroke
Ngo Thanh Van expresses her inner world in a pure and unfiltered manner through each stroke
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Above All proceeds from the paintings will be donated to the Scars of Life programme
All proceeds from the paintings will be donated to the Scars of Life programme
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Importantly, all proceeds from the paintings will be donated to the Scars of Life programme under the Vietnam Children’s Fund, helping to cover heart surgery costs for disadvantaged children living with congenital heart disease. Having supported the initiative for over a decade, Ngo Thanh Van has helped bring hope to countless families. Now, through Initiation – The Beginning, each artwork becomes not just a reflection of self, but a gesture of compassion for young hearts in need of healing.
The Initiation exhibition is open to the public from 5:00 p.m., 19 to 23 July 2025 at Chillala House of Art.
