A French Artist in Vietnam: Mathilde Granveau's July Exhibitions in Ho Chi Minh City

A French Artist in Vietnam: Mathilde Granveau's July Exhibitions in Ho Chi Minh City

A painting changes the moment it leaves the studio.

For Mathilde Granveau, July became one of those moments.

After weeks of living with her paintings in the studio, her work travelled to Ho Chi Minh City and entered two different exhibition spaces: Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy at the HCMC Fine Arts Association, and Rencontre Artistique Vietnam–France 2026 at IDECAF.

For a French artist building her practice in Vietnam, these two exhibitions held particular significance. Beyond presenting new work, they reflected the growing place of her practice within Vietnam's artistic and cultural landscape.

Exhibition signage for Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy, held from July 4 to July 10 at the HCMC Fine Arts Association.

1/ When a Painting Leaves the Studio

Every painting begins in a private space.

Before it is seen by anyone else, it lives in the studio. It stays with the artist through long days of observation, adjustment, doubt, and discovery. For Mathilde, this was especially true with Permission d’être, a work that left the studio for the first time in July.

Once a painting enters an exhibition, something shifts. It begins a life beyond the studio. Visitors bring their own memories, questions, and interpretations. Some notice details the artist has almost forgotten. Others discover something unexpected in its rhythm, colours, or composition.

That is one of the most rewarding parts of exhibiting: seeing the work take on new meaning through the eyes of others.

Visitors exploring Mathilde Granveau’s works inside the HCMC Fine Arts Association gallery.

Explore more of Mathilde's original paintings and available works through her official website. 

Permission d’être at Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy

The first July exhibition was Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy, held at the HCMC Fine Arts Association from July 4 to July 10, 2026.

Ribbon-cutting ceremony for Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy at the HCMC Fine Arts Association.

Returning to exhibit in Ho Chi Minh City marked an important moment for Mathilde. The first time she showed her work here, she barely knew anyone in the local art scene. This time, she returned with Permission d’être, exhibiting alongside many established Vietnamese artists.

The exhibition brought together artists with distinct visual languages and practices. Within that context,, Mathilde's geometric abstraction became part of a wider conversation about contemporary art in Vietnam.

The title Permission d’être adds another layer to the work. It suggests a space where presence does not need to be explained or justified. In the context of a group exhibition, the painting became both personal and shared: a work born in Mathilde’s studio, now standing among other voices and meeting viewers who brought their own readings to it.


Visitors viewing Mathilde Granveau’s geometric abstract paintings at Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy.

Tạp chí Mỹ thuật, Vietnam's leading fine-arts publication by journalist Cuong Quach:

“In the painting of Mathilde Granveau, geometric abstraction becomes a medium to explore the layers of emotion, invisible connections, and the energy constantly moving within life.”

For Mathilde, that recognition felt meaningful: it put into words something she had been trying to express through painting.

Mathilde Granveau with artists and visitors in front of her work at Ngẫu Nhiên Tháng Bảy.

Follow Mathilde's exhibition updates on Facebook and Instagram to see where her work will be shown next.

A French Artist in Vietnam at IDECAF

A few days later, Mathilde's work continued its journey at Rencontre Artistique Vietnam–France 2026, also known as Giao Lưu Nghệ Thuật Việt–Pháp 2026, held at IDECAF – Viện Trao đổi Văn hóa với Pháp from July 7 to July 20, 2026.

Participating artists at Rencontre Artistique Vietnam–France 2026 at IDECAF.

Organized by L'Association PAEC, IDECAF, and the Vietnam–France Friendship Association of Ho Chi Minh City, the exhibition brought together six artists from Vietnam and France. It was part of the cultural program celebrating French National Day and the friendship between the two countries.

For Mathilde, this context felt close to her own life. Her practice has grown through daily life in Vietnam: conversations with artists, time spent in cultural spaces, and close observation of the country's architecture, patterns, colours, and everyday gestures. The exhibition became an opportunity to reflect that experience through painting, without reducing it to a single identity or narrative.

Guests gathering outside IDECAF during Rencontre Artistique Vietnam–France 2026.

For Mathilde, participating in this exhibition felt especially meaningful. Vietnam has become much more than the place where she lives. It is where she has built her artistic practice, found inspiration, shared her work, and formed real human connections.

As a French artist in Vietnam, exhibiting in a Vietnam–France cultural context felt like a reflection of her own journey: creating between cultures, places, and memories.


A guided viewing of Mathilde Granveau’s work during Rencontre Artistique Vietnam–France 2026.

For cultural institutions, galleries, and creative partners interested in future collaborations, contact Mathilde through her official website.

2/ When Art Becomes a Shared Conversation

One of Mathilde's favourite parts of both exhibitions was not only seeing the paintings installed. It was speaking with visitors.

Opening days are often full of movement: people arriving, stopping, asking questions, looking again, and sharing what they see. These small conversations are part of what makes an exhibition alive.

Some visitors connect with a painting through color. Others through movement, memory, or a feeling they cannot immediately explain. For Mathilde, these exchanges are deeply valuable because they reveal how each artwork can hold more than one story.

Mathilde Granveau sharing a moment with visitors in front of her artwork.

Mathilde Granveau with artists and guests during the July exhibition opening.

This is also why showing work outside the studio matters. A painting can be carefully made by one person, but once it reaches an audience, it becomes a shared experience.

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3/ An Artistic Journey Between France and Vietnam

Mathilde's July exhibitions show a clear direction in her artistic journey.

Her work is shaped by living between France and Vietnam. It is about creating from that place of movement, exchange, and attention. Her paintings carry traces of architecture, landscapes, patterns, cultural memory, and the daily encounters that continue to shape her life in Vietnam.

Through geometric forms, layered compositions, and a strong sense of rhythm, Mathilde builds a visual language that feels both structured and open. It allows space for personal reading, while remaining connected to place, memory, and human experience.

Her practice continues to grow between the studio and the public, between personal intuition and shared interpretation, and between France and Vietnam.

More than exhibiting in two respected cultural spaces, these exhibitions reflected the direction of Mathilde's practice. Each presentation introduced her work to a different audience while strengthening her place within Vietnam's contemporary art scene.

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Discover more of Mathilde Granveau's work through her available collections, exhibitions, and creative collaborations. For artwork enquiries, commissions, or partnership opportunities, please get in touch via the contact page.

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