MEMORY AND TRACE: ARTIST

My Le Thi – A Personal History
“My art is about people.”


My Le Thi (In conversation, 2006)

“Thi’s past is similarly reinvested with meaning in this way. She immerses her audience in a personal narrative such that the experience expressed in her work become far more than one person’s life – they become a universal symbol for the hardships faced by people who are struggling with identity and ‘home’; struggling to belong”.

Tiffany Lee-Shoy; A Journey of Belonging: The Work of My Le Thi. (1999).
Born in 1964 at Buon Me Thuot (Vietnam), My Le Thi is of Chinese heritage, making her a member of a minority and subjecting her to racism. This was already marking her as an “outsider” within her own country, a status she has continued to hold throughout her life.

The minority groups from the central highlands of Vietnam are collectively referred to as the Montagnards. Among these groups were the Ede tribes people, with a rich culture based on matriarchal lineage. While not a member of this ethnic group, Thi has maintained an affinity for their art and culture.

Thi lived with her mother, who worked as a domestic servant and as an artisan who sold goods at local markets. She recalls maltreatment and being ostracised. She recounts being fed from the scraps of the household, but only on those foods that were not given, as a first option, to the family’s dogs.

Living through the war in Vietnam, Thi remembers the sound of shelling, and the sight of buildings burning in the main streets of the city. Sometimes the fighting and bombing came very close to her home, causing her to fear for her life.

When Thi’s mother died when she was 10, she assumed the domestic duties within the household.
Thi found a position, in 1975, with a state subsided theatre group as a dancer and musician in Hanoi.
In late 1985, as a young married woman with a child, Thi elected to migrate to Australia, with her passage to Australia being sponsored by relatives who were already living here.

In Australia, Thi studied art at the Northern Territory University (Darwin), where she met and identified with the local Aboriginal community, leading to university study in Aboriginal Arts. Darwin also has a long tradition of Chinese migration and a well-established Chinese community. Thi now lives and works in Sydney, but sees herself, as a person of Asian descent not living in the inner city, still marginalised.

Thi has also worked as a performer, recording artist, filmmaker, set designer, curator, and teacher. She has worked with community organizations to heighten awareness of Vietnamese culture and of the place of the “outsider” in both Asian and Western cultures. In her work and her actions, she displays a strong social conscience and a concern for oppressed minorities and the dispossessed.

Thi recently returned to her homeland after an absence of 18 years. Development in Buon Me Thuot necessitated the moving of her mother’s grave, a task that Thi was intimately involved in. Reconnecting with the local people of the district, particularly the Ede tribes people, she documented her experiences with film, sculpture, painting and installation works.

My Le Thi will be returning to Vietnam this year as part of a four month long program as an artist in residence.

Curriculum Vitae

My Le Thi provided this curriculum vitae. It offers a comprehensive list of her exhibition history and an exhaustive bibliography.

Chinese/Vietnamese/Australian. Born 1964 in Buon Me Thuot, Central Highland of South Vietnam.
My Le Thi migrated to Australia 1985. She lived and studied Arts in Darwin from 1985-1993. Thi moved to Sydney for further study and now lives and works in Sydney.


SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2005 Walking Recipes, Bankstown Station Plaza as part of Bankstown Food Festival, Sydney.
2004 Our Shoes, Keelung University, Keelung. Taiwan.
2003 4 Colours, P.L.C. Croydon Gallery, Artist in Residency for Asian Art Education Program, P.L.C. Croydon, Sydney.
2001 Naked Artist, Mori Gallery, Sydney.
1999 Transformation, Different Worlds, Australian Perspecta 1999, Living Here Now - Art and Politics; Carnivale Event, Gallery 4A, Sydney.
1999 The Naked Rice Field, S. Hot, ArtSpace, Sydney.
1998 Similar, Gallery 4A, Sydney.
1997 Fish, Gallery 77, Sydney.
1995 Black White Red Yellow, 24HR Art Gallery, Darwin.
1994 Looking in, Looking out, NT University Gallery, Darwin.
1988 Friends, Karama School Hall, Darwin.
1987 Looking in, looking out, Casuarina shopping Centre, Darwin.

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITION
2006 Pho Now, I Love Pho exhibition, Liverpool Museum Sydney.
We Are Australian Too, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
2005 Non La (with Ian Bowie); Art of Flower and Art and About, Sculpture by the Sea, Government House, Sydney.
2005 Washing 1, Western Front – Art is A Social Space, Blacktown Art Centre, Sydney.
2005-07 Walk the Earth, Open Letter, Asia touring exhibition, 4A Gallery, Sydney.
2004 Beautiful People, Process, national touring exhibition, 4A Gallery, Sydney.
Welcome, Refugee Week exhibition, Addison Road Gallery, Sydney.
2004 Our Shoes, Tangible Expression, Taipei, Taiwan.
2003-05 Isle of Refuge, touring exhibition to Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Darwin, Alice Spring.
2003 Parallel World, (with Tim Johnson). UTS Gallery & Art Collection, UTS, Sydney.
Threads of Destiny (with Tim Johnson), Mori Gallery, Sydney.
Courage to Care, Liverpool Gallery, Sydney.
Cross Culture, Celebrating Australian women Artists, Westside Gallery, Sydney Shangri-La Maria’s Collection, Video exhibition. ArtSpace, Sydney.
2002 Time & Destiny, Tin Shed Gallery, Sydney.
0.5+0.5=0.5, In-between, 1.5 Generation, Australian and Vietnamese Artists, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
Non La, Sculpture in the City, Martin Place, Sydney.
A Day In Buon Ma Thuot, Asian Commend, video and sound Installations, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Transformation, Human park, Institut de Cultura, Barcelona, Spain.
Four Colours, ARCO, Madrid, Spain.
2001-03 Vietnam Voice, National Touring Exhibition, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
2000-03 Rice & Wheat, Text & Subtext, works of Asian Women Artists from around the world, World Touring Exhibition, travel to Europe, USA, Asia and Australia, Earl Lu Gallery, Singapore.
2000 3 Sisters, as part of Carnivale 2000; Naked Room, Whitlam Library.
Among Others, 3 Sisters, Sydney parliament House, Cutcliffe Gallery, Newtown, Sydney.
2000 Transformation II, 4 Artists, Asian Australian Arts Centre, Sydney.
1999-2002 We Are Australian, National & International Touring Exhibition, Living in Harmony, Australian Multicultural Foundation, Melbourne.
1999-2000 The Rose Crossing, Reaching The World, Asian Touring Exhibition, Brisbane, Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong; Singapore Art Museum, Singapore; S.H. Ervin Gallery, Campbelltown City Bicentennial Art Gallery, Sydney.
Nine Encounters, Nine Lives, Artists in Resident, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
1998-99 Walk the Earth, Ways of Being, Touring Education Program, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney.
Clothes, Home Thoughts From Abroad, Sixty Years of Australian Artists From Overseas, Fairfield Regional Heritage Centre, Fairfield City.
Co-Existence, Australian Artists Against Racism, Hogarth Galleries, Sydney; Long Gallery, University of Wollongong, Wollongong.
1997 Innenseite, Kassel. (with Tim Johnson), Germany.
2002 Painting Among Other Things, Roma Bar, Darwin.

SELECTED VIDEO INSTALLATIONS
2006 Pho Now, I love Pho exhibition. Liverpool Museum, Sydney.
2005 Washing 1, Western Front – Art is A Social Space, Blacktown Art Centre, Sydney.
2003-05 Shangri-La Maria’s Collection, ArtSpace, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and overseas.
2003 ViFF, Vietnamese International Film Festival, University of California, Irvine.
0.5+0.5 = 0.5, installation, Mori Gallery, Sydney.
2002 0.5+0.5=0.5, installation, In-between, 1.5 Generation, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
A Day In Buon Ma Thuot, Asian Commend, video and sound Installations, Copenhagen, Denmark.
Return to Buon Ma Thuot, Asian Video Festival, Earl Lu Gallery, Singapore, Denmark and Canada.

SELECTED SET/ STAGE DESIGNS
2004 11 Paths of Feelings, City Moon, Bankstown, Sydney.
2002 Viet Food Village, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
2000 It is too late, Vietnamese performance space, Cabramatta, Sydney.

SELECTED PERFORMANCES
2003 Dance with Me, Viet Food Village, Fairfield Show Ground.
1999 Naked in Public, Carnivale Event, Marrickville Multicultural Festival, Sydney.
Naked Rice Field, Spread the seeds onto their destinies and hope they will grow; S...Hot, Artspace, Sydney.
1998 Twang, A Sea Change and Carnivale Event, Australian Museum, Sydney.
1984 Professional Vietnamese Music Festival, Sai Gon, South Vietnam.
1983 Professional Vietnamese Music Festival, Ha Noi, Vietnam.
1982 Highland Music Festival, Sai Gon, Vietnam.
1981 Professional Vietnamese Music Festival, Qui Nhon, South Vietnam.
1975-84 Touring Performance around Highlands, Southern, Central and Northern Vietnam.

SELECTED QUALIFICATIONS & TRAININGS
1998 Master of Arts Management, University of Technology, Sydney.
1995 Computer Graphic Diploma, Wesley College. Sydney.
1993 Bachelor of Arts, Northern Territory University, Darwin.
1975-85 Arts Training in Highlands and Vietnamese Pop Music, Singing and Dancing, Buon Ma Thuot, Daklak, South Vietnam.


SELECTED WORKSHOPS, TEACHING AND TALKS
2004 Workshops with Taiwanese Aboriginal and Taipei people, Taipei, Taiwan.
Guest speaker, University Education Program, QLD Gallery, Brisbane.
2003 Talk and workshop for High Schools students, NSW.
Creative Arts Teachers Conference, The Museum of Sydney.
Art Workshops for Teachers, The Museum of Sydney.
Artists in Residency, Teacher’s In Service Training, PLC Art Centre, Croydon, Sydney.
Art Workshops, PLC Art Centre, Croydon, Sydney.
2001-2003 Workshops with Detainees at Villawood Detention Centre, Sydney.
Guest Speaker, Sydney College of the Arts, Sydney. Bankstown Community and Women groups.

SELECTED GRANT & AWARDS
2006 Australian Asialink Art Residency, Buon Ma Thuot, Central Highlands, Vietnam.
2004 Marrickville Council Art Residency, Sister City Art Exchange Program, Taipei Artists Village, Taiwan.
2003 Art Residency, Asian Art Study Program, PLC, Croydon, Sydney.
2001 New Work Grant, Australian Council for the Arts.
Project Grant, Ministry For the Arts.
2000 International Project Grant, Ministry for the Arts.
1999 Project Grant, Ministry For the Arts.
Project Grant, Carnivale.
New Work Grant, Australia Council for the Arts, NSW.
1995 Best Exhibition Award, 24 Hrs Arts, Arts & Cultural Affairs, Australian Council for the Arts, Darwin.
1994 Jackson’s Drawing Supplies Prize, Darwin, NT.
1993 Ann Phelan Prize, Darwin.
1980 Gold Medal in National Professional Singing Competition, Ha Noi, Vietnam. SELECTED

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Internet search: > Google > ‘My Le Thi’
2006 My Le Thi, Glebe Weekly News Paper, Thur, 16th March.
2005 John McDonald, Western Front. Sydney Morning Herald. pg.
Washing 1, Western Front – Art is A Social Space, exhibition catalogue, Blacktown Art Centre, Sydney.
2004 Cheryl Robbins, An Artist Share Her Views on identity, human experience, Taiwan News, March 5, Arts, pg 6.
Gavin Phipps, A quartet of contradictory expressionists, Taipei Times, March 14, Arts & Books, pg 19.
Sean Scanlan, Artists put their ’Tangible Expression’ on show, The China Post, Prime Happenings, March 19, p. 2.
Chan Chi Du, Tangible Expression, Star, March 5, pg. 11.
Lu Chuan Mane, Tangible Expression exhibition, March 18. vol 9.
Shi Pei Ling, Shoes Installation, Unite News, March 4, Taipei life, pg B2.
Chu Mi Huey, Stories in Shoes, Unite News, Culture, February, 29, pg.
2003 Alexa Moses, Walk the Blanks, Parallel Worlds, Sydney Morning Herald, Forty-eight Hours, Sep. 20-21, pg. 10.
Peter Hill, Gimme Shelter, SMH, Spectrum, Sat. June 28. pg. 12.
Victoria Hynes, Isle be dammed, SMH, Metro, Fri. June 27. Pg. 22.
Anne Loxley, Facing the fear of difference, S.M.H., Metropolitan, Galleries, Wed. June 25, pg. 15.
ABC TV 7 PM News. Sunday, 15 June on Isle of Refuge Exhibition.
Jane Albert, Reg Has Mercy, by Jesus on Isle of Refuge exhibition, The Australian – Thursday, The Nation, June 12, pg. 3.
Anne Loxley, Responses to visual culture tie destiny’s threads together, Sydney Morning Herald, 7th May. Metropolitan, pg. 15.
My Le Thi, A Thought of an Artist, Vietnamese Herald Newspaper. 15th March.
Debra Porch, One Seed – Many Roots, part of “Four Colours” exhibition educational kits, Presbyterian Ladies College, Croydon, Sydney.
Bon Mau Co Ban – Four Colours, Artist in Residence PLC, Croydon, Sydney.
Boi Tran,!.5 Generation Catalogue, Casula Powerhouse Art Centre, Sydney.
Le Tan, Text & Subtext, Contemporary arts of Asian women artists, My Thuat, Vietnamese Arts Magazine, no. 58. June.
Maria Asuncion Guardia, La Virrena explora un Nuevo Hamanismo en dl arte von la exposicion “Parc Huma”. La Vanguardia.
Maria Luisa Borras, Visiones de la condicion humana.
Conxita Oliver, Art els artistes a la recerca d’una nova humanitat, AVUI.
Angela Molina, Prometeos en cadena, El Pais.
Frederic Montornes, Human Park exhibition catalogue, pg. 90-93, 140-141, 164-165.
2001 Victoria Hynes, Naked artist, Metro, Critic’s Picks, The Sydney Morning Herald, 9th, Nov.
Linda Michael, Yab Yam, Exhibition catalogue, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney.
Nicholas Jose, Asian-Australia dialogues in the visual arts, Art & Australia, Vol.38, no 4, Art Market, Page 596.
ABC Arts Show, 17-May.
2000 Dennis Yin, A Woman’s world, Art exhibition Text & Subtext explores gender issues with amazing subtlety, Where Singapore/ July, pg. 18.
Wu Hu Gi, “ Very Feminists, Very Contemporary, An Asian women Art Exhibition”, Culture, zb NOW News Paper, 26 July, p.14.
Siane. Jay, Making a Statement - Women Artists Leave their Mark, Life! Singapore Arts Festival 2000, The straits Times: sat. June 24 2000, Pg.10.
Text & Subtext, world tour exhibition catalogue, Earlu Gallery Singapore.
Melissa Chiu, Shifting Frames of Reference: Asian Australian Women Artists, Text and Subtext, Contemporary Art and Asian Woman, pg. 88-95.
Victoria Lu, Women Artists Now, Artists Magazine, no. 304, September, Singapore, pg. 8-13.
Ashley Carruthers, In search of dissidence at Casula Powerhouse, 9 Lives, Arts Asia Pacific, Issue 28, pg. 40-47.
Dr. Charles Green, Art and Politic: Living Here Now, Australian Perspecta 1999; Exhibition, Art & Australia, Scandalst, vol. 37, no 3,pg 360.
Blair French, My le Thi, Reviews, Art & Text, no. 68, February - April, Pg.81.
Ngoc Han, My Le Thi, SBS Radio Vietnamese Art Program, 20-3, 9-10am.
1999 Melissa Chiu, Asian - Australian Artists: Cultural Shifts in Australia, Art & Australia, Icons and Identities, Vol. 37, no 2, pg. 252-261.
Naomi McCarthy, 9 Lives Amplified by a Powerhouse, Artswest, Sydney, December, pg. 4-5.
Bruce James, Much Ado About ...What? The Sydney Morning Herald, Sat. Nov. 20, Spectrum Art, p.14.
Tim Morrell, Nine Lives, exhibition catalogue, Casula Power House Arts Centre, Sydney.
We Are Australian, exhibition catalogue.
Marnie O'Neill, Shoes to Straddle the Racial Divide, Fairfield Advance, Tue, Oct. 19, pg 15.
Tiffeny Lee-Choy, Transformation, exhibition Catalogue, Gallery 4A, Sydney.
Melissa Chiu, Different World, 10th Australian Perspecta exhibition Catalogue, NSW Gallery, Sydney.
John Clark, Rose Crossing, Exhibition Catalogue, Sherman Gallery, Sydney.
Melissa Chiu, S....Hot, exhibition catalogue, Artspace, Sydney.
1998 Ways of Being, exhibition catalogue, UNSW, Ivan Dougherty Gallery, Sydney.
Morris Low, Crossing Boundaries, Catalogue, Drill Hall Gallery, Canberra.
1997 Jacqueline Millner, Formalism Reinvested: Some Emerging Sydney Artists, Artlink, Vol.17, No. 4, p.33-35.
Benjamin Genocchio, Face / Off, The Sydney Morning Herald, Metro, Aug. 29-Sept. 4, p. 23.
Terry Ingram, Sideshow Eclipses Main Event, The Australian Financial Review, 10-July, p.29.
Mark Titmarsh, Innenseite At Kassel, Germany, Object, No. 4, p. 16-17.
Art From Walks of Life on Show, Northern Territory News, 3-10.
92 x122 Exhibition 1997, Contemporary Art Society of Vic. In. News Letter, p. 2-3. 5-7,13.
1995 Tim Johnson, Black, White, Red, Yellow, exhibition catalogue.
Peter Adsett, Black, White, Red, Yellow, exhibition catalogue.
Transition is Theme, Northern Territory News, 14 Nov.