ROOTS, the first solo exhibition by French contemporary artist Mathilde Granveau, concluded at Maii Art Space, Ho Chi Minh City (November 15–24, 2025) with a resonance that extended far beyond its physical space.
More than an exhibition, ROOTS unfolded as a contemplative encounter: an invitation to pause, listen inward, and allow silence to take form on canvas.
Mathilde Granveau’s Solo Exhibition in Vietnam
1. Mathilde Granveau: A Bridge Between Paris and the Central Highlands
A French artist who has chosen Vietnam as her creative homeland, Mathilde has quietly woven a cultural bridge in her visual language. Her works carry the precision of Western geometry, yet soften into the rhythmic tenderness of Cham and Central Highlands motifs.
In ROOTS, she introduced 20 paintings that reflect an intimate inner dialogue: an exploration of belonging, memory, and the quiet pulse of Central Vietnam’s indigenous cultures.
Her earthy palette, mineral textures, and subtle metallic glows brought a sense of timelessness to her first exhibition in Saigon.
Mathilde Granveau’s Solo Exhibition in Vietnam
2. Event Moments & Highlights
2.1.1. An Intimate, Heartfelt Opening Ceremony
The opening evening unfolded in a warm, atmospheric setting soft fragrance, gentle music, and amber light brought guests into a contemplative mood.
Although Mathilde is based in Danang, the event surpassed expectations with more than 50 attendees: collectors, artists, curators, art critics, journalists, and both Vietnamese and international guests.
Everyone is at the opening ceremony
Language barriers dissolved instantly; ROOTS created its own silent vocabulary through form, texture, and emotion.
Curator Phan Trong Van opened the evening, followed by Mathilde’s vulnerable sharing about her creative journey in Vietnam, an emotional moment that lingered with many guests long after.
Mathilde and the curator are giving a speech at the opening ceremony
2.2. National Media Interviews: Tuổi Trẻ & Tin Tức
The exhibition welcomed reporters from Tuổi Trẻ Newspaper and Tin Tức for live interviews and video coverage with Mathilde Granveau.
Lights on. Cameras rolling.
Mathilde is being interviewed by a Tuổi Trẻ journalist
The conversation unfolded with a natural warmth, offering the public a deeper glimpse into ROOTS its inspirations, its cultural fusion, and Mathilde’s artistic evolution in Vietnam. This dialogue allowed ROOTS to reach far beyond the gallery walls.
Printed article on the ROOTS Collection – Solo Exhibition
Read the full Tuổi Trẻ article here
Watch the opening ceremony live on Tin Tức here here
2.3. A Vibrant Artistic Exchange
ROOTS was also a vibrant hub for artistic exchange. Mathilde experienced the creative flow through a live portrait session with artist Lê Sa Long, and exchanged perspectives with artist Lê Triệu Hồng Lĩnh, among others.
Artist Le Sa Long paints a portrait of Mathilde Granveau
These interactions enriched the exhibition experience, transforming it into not just a showcase but a place of meeting, sharing, and learning.
3. Reflections from the Art Community
ROOTS opened a rare conversation between structure and softness, memory and presence, Western formality and Eastern sensibility.
Visitors exploring and experiencing the ROOTS Collection
Throughout the exhibition, each viewer arrived with their own rhythm:
- Some lingered for long minutes before a single silent void.
- Others touched the muted golds as if retrieving a forgotten memory;
- Some simply sat with the works, with themselves in quiet contemplation.
These moments became the living essence of ROOTS.
Visitors exploring and experiencing the ROOTS Collection
The high-level professional reviews from connoisseurs have affirmed the artistic value of ROOTS:
1. Curator Phan Trọng Văn
“Mathilde’s works do not try to tell a story. They allow the story to emerge on its own when the viewer pauses. The empty spaces the simplified human forms are where memory speaks. The metallic accents are not ornaments but the light of a silence that almost stings.”
Read more from curator Phan Trọng Văn in his article on Fine Art magazines here
Curator Phan Trọng Văn
2. Quách Cường – Art Critic, Fine Arts Magazine
"ROOTS carries both an inward meditative depth and an outward sense of expansion. Your works embody the essence of Zen: ‘All things arise from the mind; all beings return to the Dharma.’ The blend of Western geometric forms with Cham, Central Highlands, and indigenous motifs creates the feeling of a tantric mandala, a visual gravity that pulls the viewer into stillness and emptiness. I sincerely appreciate how you expressed this collection."
Quách Cường – Art Critic, Fine Arts Magazine
3. Artist Phạm Hồng
“I paused before one piece and sensed a vivid current flowing beneath its quiet surface. Within the contradictions movement and stillness coexist as two layers of an inner journey”.
Artist Phạm Hồng
4. Poet Minh Đạt
"Mathilde Granveau – Fragments of Indochine Light’
His words evoke echoes of Indochine-era architecture
a time when French architects blended European elegance with the subtle beauty of Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.
A sensibility that quietly echoes through Mathilde’s paintings".
Read the full poem on the Independent Writers’ Club of Vietnam Forum here
4. A Heartfelt Thank You
Our deepest gratitude goes to all guests, partners, and members of the art community who came to experience ROOTS.
The exhibition became:
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A meeting point for artistic communities across cultures
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A space of sincere dialogue between artist, curator, and audience
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A shared journey into silence, memory, and connection
We truly look forward to your continued support and hope to see you at our upcoming exhibitions. If you would like to be notified about future events, please leave your email, we will keep you updated as soon as new activities are announced.
Visitors enjoying the ROOTS Collection
5. Further Reading About ROOTS
Origin Traces by the French female painter – Ngày Nay Newspaper
“Roots” by the French artist who considers Vietnam her home – Tuổi Trẻ Newspaper
“Roots” Exhibition by French contemporary artist Mathilde Granveau – Tin Tức Newspaper
5. Art exhibition by a French female artist in Ho Chi Minh City – Văn Hóa Newspaper
“Origin Traces” by a French female painter in Vietnam – Nông nghiệp & Môi trường Newspaper
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