Mine Art Gallery
Cam Pha coal mine was established by the French in 1886 under the name Société Française des Charbonnages du Tonkin during the reign of King Tu Duc. The mine’s stratigraphic structure descends into deep underground terraces, with coal seams gradually revealed in the light that pierces through the valley.
The jet-black hue of coal, intermingled with the reddish-brown of the earth and the arid dust suspended in the air, creates an abstract palette imbued with depth and intensity.
The project draws inspiration from the overlapping layers of coal seams, reimagined in reverse to symbolize the void left behind. Construction materials, sourced from coal itself, form layered bricks that replicate the natural striations of the seams. Space, materiality, and landscape converge to evoke the emotional and physical experiences of the miners.
Type
Gallery
Year
2016
Location
Cam Pha city
Team
Ho Viet Vinh
Mai Que Vu
Next project | Self – hypnosis
“Thi ca – Kiến trúc – điêu khắc – hội hoạ đang chuyển từ “tạo hình” sang “tạo điều kiện” cho con người tham gia, cho đô thị hồi sinh, cho vật liệu truy nguyên, và cho ký ức được tái sinh trong một trải nghiệm mới.”
“Poetry – Architecture -Sculpture – Painting are transmuting from sculpting forms into orchestrating conditions: for human participation, for urban reawakening, for materials to recount their origins, and for memory to be reborn within a new experience.”
KTS. Hồ Viết Vinh 260105
Next project | VOICES of NATURE
Bathing in the mist of the mountains and forests, we are like super crooked footsteps. Overconfidence has given way to humble trembling. Following the breath we look back at the decaying frame of the mythical years. I falter, bowing my head not to beg, but to apologize for the unruly bare-headed man.
Voices of nature
The melodious reverberation of the mountains and forests,
Clouds cover the rising sun,
I silently curled up in the wind,
Absorb the mist of the dawn light.
Âm vang núi rừng
Du dương vọng tiếng hoà ca rừng núi,
Mây ngập tràn che khuất mặt trời lên,
Ta lặng im cuộn mình trong làn gió,
Men hơi sương ngút ngọn ánh bình minh.
Ho Viet Vinh, Dalat 2021
Next project | Venus
Vinhho, by wood carving, Maison d’Art, 2025
Next project | xin
Xin
Xin cho mây xám cuối trời,
Cỏ hoang yên giấc đồng phơi nắng vàng,
Xin cho gió chở lời mang,
Đồng dao vang tiếng ngỡ ngàng đường quê,
Xin cho trăng ngủ bờ đê,
Gối tay tỉnh giấc chưa về đã hay!
Request
Grant the gray clouds at sky’s end,
Let wild grass slumber in sunlit meadows,
Grant the wind to carry whispers,
Children’s rhymes echo with wonder down rustic paths,
Grant the moon to rest on riverbanks,
Cradled in arms, awakening to dreams not yet returned.
Ho Viet Vinh 251104
Acrylic on canvas, 2025
Next project | FRAGILE
Fragile
“The quiet beauty and subtle melancholy, reflecting the fragility of life and the passage of time, enhancing the sense of fragility and evoking a sense of wonder and contemplation.”
Ho Viet Vinh
Fragile, Acrylic on canvas, 130x97cm, Maison d’Art 2024
Maison d'Art
The fragility of life and the passage of time
The quiet beauty and subtle melancholy
Next project | lại
Watercolor, 2020, by Vinhho
Lại
Lại rằng có nghĩa là không,
Thì không không có có không cớ gì,
Lại vì không chẳng vô vi,
Đang đi có biết chưa đi nghĩ gì,
Lại thì chẳng có chi chi,
Một khi tâm vắng đường đi ấy là.
Again
Again means naught and all,
For naught is not without reason’s call,
Again for nothing, not idly free,
In stride, yet pondering what thoughts might be,
Again, there’s nothing at all,
When the mind is still, the path stands tall.
Next project | Zen Garden
The Zen garden embodies the essence of nature, situated within a coniferous forest, where it bathes in the morning sunlight and is immersed in the cool breeze of the nearby beach. Visitors move freely within its open space, unbound by fixed positions or traditional frames of reference.
Movement transcends notions of interior and exterior, high and low. Heaven and earth, plants, flowers, and humans merge into one harmonious whole, where every step resonates with the breath of the pure land.
Next project | Majestic Hotel Renovation
Established by the Hui-Bon-Hoa Company (owned by a Chinese-Vietnamese businessman known as Uncle Hoa), the hotel is located at the corner of Catinat Street (now Dong Khoi Street) and Quai de Belgique Street (now Ton Duc Thang Street). Designed in the popular baroque architectural style of the time, the hotel became one of Saigon’s most elegant and impressive buildings upon its completion in 1925.
The Majestic initially had three stories and 44 bedrooms, as per the original design by a French architect. In 1948, the Indochina Tourism and Exhibition Department, led by the Frenchman Franchini Mathieu, purchased the ground and first floors of the hotel and leased 44 rooms for 30 years.
The hotel was officially rated as a five-star establishment in 2007. In July 2011, construction began on two new towers along Nguyen Hue Street, adding 353 rooms to the hotel.
However, over time, the usage of the space and the integration of modern equipment have diminished the building’s original value. The goal of the redesign and renovation is to restore its luxury and evoke the essence of the famous Indochinese architectural style, reminiscent of old Saigon.
Next project | Architecture and Fine Arts during the reign of Khai Dinh, a historical perspective
Architecture of each nation evolves and develops along a historical trajectory. Particularly, royal architecture establishes solid foundations refined over time, becoming the formal language through which art thrives. Each dynasty selects its own stylistic language as a benchmark for evaluation and a marker of its era.
The selective inheritance across dynasties shapes the orthodox architectural tradition. This tradition adheres to strict principles of form-making, setting standards that serve as measures of artistic creativity. However, the end of each dynasty invariably signifies adaptations to external influences. Ultimately, the flow of architecture is once again reshaped and renewed, continuing its progression.
Emperor Khai Dinh utilized to infuse a sense of national identity into the architectural and artistic works of the royal court. These projects, executed during the late Nguyen dynasty, reflect a deliberate effort to adapt proactively to the changing circumstances.
Nearly a century later, the art of ceramic mosaic from the Khai Dinh era continues to flourish in temples, pagodas, shrines, and tombs.
To read the full research article below.
Next project | Ru
Ru
Ru đời mấy giấc chiêm bao,
Xôn xao như gió ngã nhào bờ mê,
Ru quê cho tỏ đường về,
Tỉ tê câu chuyện bờ đê mái đình,
Ru mình chỉ mấy lời kinh,
Tâm minh hồn triết thanh hình sắc tao.
Lullaby
Lull life’s dreams in fleeting flight,
Stirred like winds tumbling on enchanted dikes,
Lull the homeland, reveal the path home,
Whisper tales by riverbanks and village halls,
Lull the self with sacred dharmas,
Enlightened soul, wisdom’s grace in form and rhyme.
Ho Viet Vinh 250412
