Lê Giang is a versatile artist who experiments with vernacular techniques of plaster-casting, inlay, paper-embossing and, more recently, ‘painting’ with gemstones. Lê Giang learnt this technique from artisans in the gem-mining regions of Northern Vietnam, many of whom favour a genre of landscape painting known as Sơn thuỷ hữu tình (‘majestic mountains and expansive rivers’). They are popular with customers who see the natural world as a symbol of purity, and see the gem paintings as attributing prosperity, longevity and other desirable attributes to their owners. Lê Giang’s gem paintings, titled after the genre, point to the irony inherent in cultural perceptions of the natural world. Gem mining has led to the pollution of lakes and the deforestation of areas considered sacred in local spiritual practices. Departing from the distant, awe-inspiring view of a sublime nature, her sparkling images use an intimate lens to reveal the flaws and fissures in the environment and our perception.

This project is supported by the Commonwealth through the Office for the Arts, part of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.