Maj Trang Olson

The path to the art of painting

Each art form has its own energy with streams of thoughts that appear and disappear at any moment.

Once the bright spot is captured, the path continues to explode as the intelligence is opened

and the qualities are released to make an endless flow.

Instinct is energy, a quality that is like the bloodline of survival rising with great thoughts about hidden aspirations that are enlightened. Painter Maj Trang Olson affirms herself in fine arts. The clear voice conveyed through her brush gives her a new step forward in contemporary fine arts, the cultural exchange between the two countries of Vietnam and Sweden.

Her opportunity to painting comes from a country rich in artistic values, with religious diversity that has created a colorful cultural environment, majestic and peaceful natural beauty bordering many countries. The country has many tragic historical milestones and many heritages, that attract international tourists to enjoy and settle down. That woman, a slender but ambitious Maj Trang, could not help but be moved by the plans and determination of a time of youth.

She went through all the hardships in a faraway land, and when she stabilized all aspects of her life, with her innate intelligence and extremely strong temperament, she has stopped with the fine art of painting, a noble and delicate art form that she has been crazy about. Her love and zeal for art, excellence in the artistic sense and creative ideas, and family tradition have helped her to have thoughts about steady steps in painting. She once wondered: “Why am I always in the vortex of life??? What activities should I do for myself to create a richer spiritual life, with connections and exchanges???”

Her father and siblings all have an aptitude for art and have made a name for themselves in society. They have attained remarkable achievements in training and composing with works that have come to life and been welcomed by the public. Such a wonderful life has allowed her to have her first steps in art in Europe. Although her mind has not yet clearly formed, it has absorbed the pure beauty of nature. The harmony in perceptivity has led her to the first brushstrokes with the shape of deep memories, the color gamut in the consciousness of childhood, of Hanoi 36 streets, the first sitting as a model for the famous painter Bùi Xuân Phái (in 1988), “the last days of his life before he left this world, Maj Trang could not help but shed tears when remembering him”. She brought with her to Sweden: “a portrait, two shirts with the same pattern, one black, one blue”, which were the souvenirs of her old friend – painter Bùi Xuân Phái. He was like a father, a great teacher who inspired her to follow his path to paint the old streets of Hà Nội, which are often called “Phố Phái”.

“Though I travel thousands of places

How can I forget my homeland

In the past, there were thirty-six streets

Now, the Phái’s paintings are imbued with the soul of the homeland

The fatherland seems like silk and flower

Mixing with new sunshine in the Western European sky

The source of colorful culture

The vibrant soul of my homeland blends with the colors of the paintings.”

With cultural influences deep in her heart, the stories told through her paintings show her inmost feelings and aspiration for a beautiful life. The soul of the nation and cultural tradition through her brush also expresses the thoughts, the harmony of colors and the concord among the people, which help to win people’s hearts. She has received the admiration of colleagues inside and outside the country, and overseas Vietnamese friends. The events of international cultural exchange and cooperation are premise for her to share the simplicity in each painting, the shades of color, the depth of the clouds, the radiant atmosphere in the harmonious landscapes, of the weather when the seasons change. All of these create a link connecting regions, heaven and earth. Despite thousands of miles apart, they are still very close. The culture in each of her paintings conveys the core values ​​of the Vietnamese people. She always believes that life must be responsible and has achieved certain success when choosing the right direction for herself. The artistic path is wide open, and the cultural and artistic activities are sublimated with plans of an intellectual vision that has a great influence on the social community.

Artist Maj Trang Olson has flied back and forth between Vietnam and Sweden. The homeland is where she has returned and is also a cultural bridge. Moreover, it is the place where she has found the inspiration from the paintings by Bùi Xuân Phái. Therefore, she always expresses her gratitude to the talented painter Bùi Xuân Phái, her family and friends in the art world. Mai Trang’s empathy of the strange graces in life, “coming and going in reality” and echoes of ideas all begin and stay on the canvases with the colors of “body, mind and spirit”. The essence of the brushstroke is the breath of life that has responded to her in full satisfaction, embracing that spirit in her own homeland.

As a free artist, she is able to wallow in the senses of all artistic values. Born in a family of artistic tradition, she had an opportunity to imbibe painting since childhood. Although she did not show an aptitude for painting at that time, her passion and attachment to the portrait painted by the famous painter Bùi Xuân Phái, which she considers a “treasure”, sowed the seeds of a talented female painter in the future.

The journey back to Vietnam has refreshed her memories. She also has activities of great significance for herself and the social community. Her solo exhibition “In memory of Bùi Xuân Phái” is an opportunity to express her gratitude and artistic voice. Her meeting with seniors – veteran artists in the art world has made her feel their sincere admiration for her. Maj Trang was deeply moved with informal discussions and talks. Her sympathy for the people in the flood-affected areas in the North made her and her Swedish husband, Mr. Soren Olson, contribute gifts to the “Fine Arts Creation Fund” of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and the “Red Cross Fund of Lạng Sơn province”.

Before returning to Sweden – painter Maj Trang Olson emotionally shared: She would return to Vietnam in the near future and plan to launch her collection of paintings and a series of  her “portraits” in her old souvenir áo dài drawn by Vietnamese artists. She would also exhibit “In memory of Bùi Xuân Phái” in Sweden. During her years living in Sweden, art lovers, the community of overseas Vietnamese as well as the Swedish people have shown affection and love for this cheerful and enthusiastic painter. Through her paintings, they understand more about Vietnamese culture and people. She is like a bridge spreading the value of fine arts between the two cultures. Like many other women, she has overcome numerous hardships of life and walked steadily. She will continue to contribute to the art of painting and try to leave behind invaluable works for life, which make the spiritual life more beautiful and significant.

Painter Maj Trang Olson – full name Nguyễn Thị Mai Trang, was born in 1956, in an artistic family in Hanoi’s Old Quarter. Her father is painter Hồng Vân, who is famous for his portraits of President Hồ Chí Minh in the 1970s, and her two brothers Nguyễn Hồng Hưng and Vân Thuyết are both famous “painters and sculptors” in the Vietnamese contemporary art. Maj Trang Olson has had 20 exhibitions in Northern Europe and Europe. In 2011 and September 2024, she exhibited 60 oil paintings with the theme “In memory of Bùi Xuân Phái” at the Exhibition House of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association – 16 Ngô Quyền, Hà Nội.

Content: Le Thu Huyen
Present: Thang Tran
Photo: NVCC