Tom's Notes

On a quiet Sunday morning in Hue, I wandered into a world beyond words—the Lê Bá Đảng Art Center, nestled in a charming French-style villa along the poetic Perfume River. What I found inside wasn’t just a collection of artworks—it was a universe of imagination, emotion, and Vietnamese soul.

This elegant gallery holds nearly 400 works by Lê Bá Đảng, one of Vietnam’s most celebrated painters. Though he spent most of his life abroad, his art speaks pure Vietnamese spirit—gentle, deep, and fiercely beautiful.

As I stepped into the space, a strange, wonderful feeling hit me. Like standing at the edge of another world. It was wow, in every sense of the word.

I was lucky that day—the center was technically closed, but a kind deputy director let me in for a private peek before I left Hue. Normally, guided tours are available to help you explore each artwork’s story and the creative mind behind them. But wandering solo? That’s its own kind of magic.

Each piece felt like a conversation between the artist and the universe. Lê Bá Đảng didn’t follow limits. He painted on everything—from canvas to ceramic, from wood to stainless steel, and even fragments of a B52 bomber. His themes danced from love and motherhood to homeland, history, and cosmic visions.

What struck me most was how approachable the art was. Even abstract pieces whispered their meanings. And yet, there was always room for you—for your imagination to fly free, to see what you wanted to see.

Leaving the gallery, I walked just a few minutes to another gem by the river—the Điềm Phùng Thị Sculpture Space. These two creative powerhouses—him with colors and her with shapes—offer a back-to-back masterclass in Vietnamese artistry.

Here, each sculpture tells a story. Some say that to understand war, we must observe it from a distance. But with art, sometimes we need to get really close. Only then can we see the delicate details, the quiet messages left behind by the artist.

And it hit me—art connects us across time. Even if we’ve never met the artist, their works speak to something we all share: a desire to feel, to dream, to find beauty.

Before I left Hue, one thought stayed with me: how long is a human life, and how does one soul create hundreds—maybe thousands—of masterpieces? I could almost see it: the endless hours, the quiet devotion, the lifelong mission of making beauty.

One quote by Lê Bá Đảng keeps echoing in my mind:

“An artist’s true wealth lies in the diversity of their creativity.”

And maybe, just maybe, that’s the secret to a meaningful life.

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