Traditional Series
Ink Strokes Purify Emotions
Overview
This traditional drawing series is an ongoing project that began after the success of Flying Dragon. It continues my journey of exploring culture and self through visual art. Each piece is a personal reflection, where I use simple materials like pens, ink, and pencils to create detailed, thoughtful works. These drawings are quiet but intentional, filled with symbols, patterns, and forms that connect to my heritage and memories. Through this process, I’m learning more about who I am and how my cultural background shapes the way I see and create. This series is not just about making art; it’s about finding my voice as an artist.
Tools
- Pencils
- Micron Pens
- Paper
From Sketches to Stories
The process began with small animal drawings in my sketchbook, each one inspired by folklore, traditional stories, and myths. Over time, these sketches grew into full, detailed drawings that explore deeper cultural meanings. Animals became symbols: each one carrying part of a story, belief, or lesson from my heritage. Using pen, ink, and pencil, I slowly shaped these ideas into finished works that connect imagination with tradition.
The Sketchbook
This sketchbook is filled with individual animal drawings, each one inspired by traditional stories, folklore, and cultural symbols. These early sketches were a way for me to explore different forms and meanings, using animals as a starting point for larger ideas. Each drawing stands on its own, but together they reflect a growing connection to heritage and storytelling through meticulous lines and shapes.
Vietnamese Zodiac Race
This drawing features a dynamic composition of the Vietnamese zodiac race, bringing the twelve animals to life in motion. Each animal is drawn with details inspired by Vietnamese culture and traditional patterns. The scene captures the energy and spirit of the race, while honoring the unique cultural lens through which the zodiac is viewed in Vietnam. It’s a playful yet meaningful way to celebrate heritage through storytelling and movement.
Four Holy Beasts Box
This wood box is inspired by the traditional royal betel boxes of Vietnam and features the four holy beasts: Dragon, Phoenix, Turtle, and Qilin. Each animal is drawn on a different side. The design honors these sacred animals from Vietnamese mythology, symbolizing strength, wisdom, peace, and virtue. The box blends historical inspiration with personal craftsmanship, turning a functional object into a tribute to cultural stories and royal tradition.
Tiger in Tradition
These two full drawings focus on the tiger, each exploring its cultural and symbolic meaning. The first piece features a powerful tiger alongside Sấu, a mythological creature often seen in Vietnamese architecture, highlighting the connection between strength and tradition. The second drawing celebrates the Year of the Tiger, with the tiger boldly placed at the center, surrounded by the other zodiac animals in a lively circular composition. Both works honor the tiger’s presence in folklore and its lasting role in Vietnamese cultural identity.
A Drawing for Healing
This small traditional-style drawing was made to help support my professor’s cat during its surgery. I used careful linework and cultural patterns to create a piece that felt both personal and meaningful. Though simple, the drawing carried a message of care and kindness, showing how art can offer support in real-life situations. It became a small but heartfelt way to give back through creativity.
Tales of the Fox and Elephant
These two drawings reflect themes of wisdom and balance drawn from ancient fables and Buddhist philosophy. The first piece is inspired by Aesop's fable The Fox and the Grapes, where the text is inscribed in Vietnamese chữ Nôm. The story captures the fox's cynical rationalization of unattainable desires, symbolizing human tendencies to downplay what cannot be reached. The second drawing, titled Elephant and the Mahout, also inscribed in Vietnamese chữ Nôm, represents the dynamic between emotion and reason. In Buddhist philosophy, the elephant symbolizes primal instincts and emotions, while the mahout stands for rationality and mindfulness. The drawing illustrates the delicate balance between these forces, showing how wisdom and self-control can guide emotional impulses toward harmony.
The Dragon of Time
This work in progress aims to be the largest dragon I've ever created, drawn in pen and ink on twelve 24x30 inch illustration boards. Inspired by the dragons of the later Lê dynasty, it carries the weight of Vietnamese history on its body. The dragon’s form is adorned with imagery representing key moments in human history, from ancient times to the present day. Each panel contributes to the intricate design, creating a massive, flowing narrative that blends culture, heritage, and visual storytelling into one powerful symbol of Vietnam’s past and future.