Trang Le
Le Trang (b. 1987, Vietnam) lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her artworks examine the formation and contestation of social, cultural, and gender orders within contemporary Vietnam. Through her large-scale paintings, Trang explores notions of situated histories, motherhood, familial legacies, and interspecies connections, employing intricate manipulations of colour. Drawing upon her Hue heritage, Trang endeavours to elevate female narratives that have been historically lost or understated.
Instagram: @letrang.artist Email: letrangartist@gmail.com
Trang draws inspiration from a diverse array of cultural references, ranging from the art and craft history of Vietnam to Modernist landscape paintings, as well as figures such as Diem Phung Thi and Ton Nu Thi Ninh, Asian golden weaver birds native to Vietnam, as well as significant events like the 1999 catastrophic flood of Hue. This eclectic mix of influences contributes to Trang’s artistic oeuvre, which reflects a nuanced understanding of the aesthetic context and historical grandeur intrinsic to her Vietnamese identity.
Le Trang’s artistic practice is characterised by a profound engagement with her cultural heritage and a commitment to amplifying marginalised voices within Vietnamese society, particularly by depicting the everyday as the locus of the miraculous and the exceptional. She blends personal and collective narratives, inviting viewers to reconsider their understanding of the past and to contemplate the complexities of identity, memory, and belonging. Through her work, Trang offers a glimpse into the intricacies of Vietnamese life, celebrating its richness and diversity while also highlighting overlooked or underrepresented aspects of society.
