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At the 224 Space exhibition (An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City), three photographers, Tran Thanh Thao, Tin Phung, and Hoang Le Giang, together opened up a visual universe where each viewer is invited to ask themselves: "What does red mean to you?".
With the message "RED knows no bounds," the exhibition, which opened on the afternoon of November 11th, brings together three photographic languages, three storytelling approaches, and three distinct perspectives, transforming red from a mere color into a boundless world of emotions.
The RED exhibition brings together photographs by three photographers, each offering a different perspective on the color red.
The color red symbolizes connection.
The first section opens with images by photographer Tran Thanh Thao, who has over twenty years of experience in the creative field before venturing into photography in 2018. For her, photography is not just about capturing moments, but a quiet yet intense dialogue with herself.
If graphic design helps her connect with the outside world, then photography is how she rediscovers her inner world. Tran Thanh Thao often focuses her lens on the simple things of everyday life – a shadow cast on a wall, gloves drying in the sun, a ceramic mug, an old wooden door frame… These seemingly small details contain the rhythm of life and human emotions.
Photographer Tran Thanh Thao shared her thoughts on the color red in the photographs on display.
For Tran Thanh Thao, the color red has a strong connection to her and is also a symbol of good fortune in Eastern beliefs. Therefore, she chose red as the main color for her first exhibition at 224 Space, hoping for a brilliant and successful start.
In the RED exhibition, she didn't choose photos for their color but for the emotional connection that the color red evokes. From Iran, Cuba, Pakistan to India, Mongolia, Vietnam… the red in her photos is a collection of intersecting memories of space, time, and soul.
"It's like when I photographed a red door in Pakistan; at that moment, I suddenly remembered the doors in Hoi An and my grandmother's house from a decade ago. That red color is the thread connecting the lands, between the past and the present," she said.
For Tran Thanh Thao, no matter where they are, people always share the same emotions: joy, nostalgia, or warmth. And the color red is the common language to connect them all.
The color red is a thread that connects people and lands through emotions.
The red color of traditional art
Stepping up to the second floor, the red hues of Tin Phung's studio – a photographer born in 1987 in Saigon – carry a completely different energy: vibrant in its quietness and full of depth. Tin Phung began taking photos in 2008 and quickly became recognized for his lively images. For him, photography is a way to spread faith in the beauty and kindness of everyday life.
Photographer Tin Phung stands beside his photographs displayed in the RED exhibition.
In the exhibition RED, Tin Phung presents a collection of photographs of traditional Vietnamese opera troupes as a tribute to this fading art form. In these photographs, the color red – the color of the stage, the makeup, and the costumes – becomes a symbol of passion and dedication to the profession. He not only captures the dazzling performances but also turns his lens to the backstage area, where the artists quietly transform themselves, living life to the fullest despite the hardships of making a living.
"Every time the red lights come on, they embrace their passion and forget all their hardships," he said. The shades of red in Tin Phung's photos are sometimes subdued, sometimes intense, but always contain a persistent energy, like the hearts of these artists still burning amidst everyday life.
Half of Tín Phùng's space is filled with photographs of traditional Vietnamese opera troupes.
In addition, he also displayed works of everyday life, including his favorite photograph: red plastic tables and chairs on the roadside. For him, it represents the image of old Saigon, where people met, drank iced tea, chatted, and shared a simple rhythm of life."The color red in my everyday photos isn't excessive; it's just enough to draw attention, not ostentatious, but like a quiet longing," he shared.
This is NAG Tín Phùng's favorite photo in the series about everyday life in red.
Red - the color of each region
While Tran Thanh Thao tells stories through emotion and Tin Phung through energy, Hoang Le Giang – an explorer who has traveled through more than 50 countries – tells stories through memory and spatial depth. For him, photography began as a way to preserve his journey, but gradually became a language for dialogue with nature and time.
In the exhibition RED, Hoang Le Giang chose vast natural landscapes where the color red appears only as a small accent, yet powerful enough to stir up the entire space. He found the unique nuances of this color in each region he visited: Ladakh, Iceland, Tanzania, Santorini, Pakistan, and Japan.
Photographer Hoang Le Giang stands beside the photographs displayed in the RED exhibition.
In Northern Europe and Iceland, the vibrant red stands out against the white snow, conveying a sense of strength and resilience, like a warm flame in the freezing cold. Conversely, in Greece, Italy, or the Mediterranean region, the red is delicate and graceful, blending with the sunlight and the blue of the sea and sky.
In the Himalayas, the color red is prevalent, closely associated with the religion and rituals of a vast cultural region. In Santorini, where people are accustomed to the image of white houses with blue roofs, red is rarer, so whenever it appears, it becomes a captivating highlight, hard to look away from.
The color red in the photos Hoang Le Giang took in Iceland.
One of his most cherished works is a photograph of a red window in Santorini. In the upper left corner is a cross on the arch reaching towards the blue sky – a symbol of faith; while in the lower right corner is the red window frame – a symbol of the heart, of life. These two contrasting elements create a dialogue between spirituality and humanity, between stillness and movement, between belief and emotion.
The color red in the Himalayas and Japan
The color red in Santorini, Greece
Hoang Le Giang said that he deliberately avoided choosing famous landmarks of each region. Instead, he focused on everyday moments where the color red is most naturally present."It is in these seemingly ordinary places that the color red truly reflects the essence of the land, without any embellishment," he said.
Hoang Le Giang shared photos of the color red in Pakistan.
An emotional journey without limits.
From three different perspectives,RED - Unlimited RedIt's not just a photo exhibition, but a dialogue between art, emotion, and memory. Viewers don't stand outside the artwork, but become part of the journey: stepping into the vibrant world of heartbeats, flames, aspirations, and their own personal memories.
The red color of Tran Thanh Thao - Vietnam
The red hue of Hoang Le Giang - The sun in Tanzania
The red color of Tin Phung - the art of traditional Vietnamese opera.
Following the opening ceremony, the exhibition will be open to the public from November 12th to November 23rd, 2025, accompanied by a series of workshops and talk shows on photography, creativity, and emotion. There, artists and the public will together expand the boundaries of "red," realizing that each of us carries within ourselves a unique, limitless shade of red.
