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From mandalas to urban life
Taking place from March 15th to April 30th at Hai An Gallery (Ho Chi Minh City), the exhibition “Duyen Linh” approaches Buddhism not only as a belief system but also as a continuously evolving cultural and artistic stream. With a history of over 2,000 years in Vietnam, Buddhism has deeply permeated spiritual life, forming a solid foundation of ethics and aesthetics. In this context, Vajrayana Buddhism, which emerged later (around the mid-20th century), is gradually expanding its influence, especially in the last two decades as it has spread strongly through digital media.
The "Duyen Linh" exhibition is free to enter and offers visitors the opportunity to access and learn about Vajrayana Buddhism.
The exhibition chooses to approach this tradition through visual language: statues, thangka paintings, prayer flags, prayer wheels, and contemporary installations. The exhibition space is organized around five core concepts of Buddhism: impermanence, dependent origination, compassion, compassion, and creation. In this context, creation is understood as a "skillful means"—the way in which the teachings are flexibly conveyed through various forms, from art to daily life.
The centerpiece of the exhibition is the mandala structure – a cosmic symbol in Vajrayana Buddhism. With its closed geometry and order, the mandala not only holds significance for meditation but also serves as a guide for practitioners on their inner journey. Here, the mandala is divided into four directions, representing the Buddhist traditions present in Vietnam. Each direction carries its own color and concept, ranging from healing power, wisdom, vitality to localization.
Mandalas are typically symmetrical circles, incorporating intricate geometric patterns, lotus flowers, and colors that radiate outwards from the center.
Visitors move clockwise around the mandala—a symbolic act representing the turning of the Dharma wheel and the continuous flow of the teachings. It is within this movement that the exhibition opens up an approach to Buddhism that is not static but always in motion, adapting and reinterpreting.
From the Himalayas to Vietnam: Spread and Transformation
One of the key themes of the exhibition is the journey of Vajrayana Buddhism from the Himalayas to Vietnam. In this space, religion is viewed as an integral part of life – where beliefs, art, the natural environment, and community life intertwine. Through this, the exhibition places Vajrayana Buddhism within a broader context: not just as a religion, but as a transnational system of knowledge and cultural expression.
The works of Nicholas Roerich—a Russian painter and explorer—offer a different perspective on the Himalayas as a sacred space, a convergence point of intellect and aspiration for higher ideals.
The works of Japanese artist Kuranishi, in his series "Tsuki to Kin no Shangrila," depict Tibetan monastic life through a personal and emotionally rich lens.
Upon arriving in Vietnam, this tradition did not remain unchanged but continuously transformed. The exhibition points out that, in contemporary life, Vajrayana Buddhism is often combined with indigenous practices, even intersecting with folk beliefs such as the worship of the God of Wealth or the Mother Goddess religion. These forms of fusion reflect a reality: religion always adapts to the social context, creating new interpretations suitable for modern life.
Experiential spaces: Engaging, expansive, and fluid.
The exhibition's next three spatial layers—attraction, diffusion, and circulation—focus on how spiritual practices are experienced and redefined within a contemporary context.
In its "attraction" space, the exhibition explores the connection between Vajrayana Buddhism and popular concepts such as the "law of attraction." The image of Jambhala—the Bodhisattva of Wealth—is placed at the center, suggesting how people seek abundance not only materially but also spiritually. Here, symbols such as the Eight Auspicious Symbols are reinterpreted in various forms, from traditional art to popular culture. A small meditation room allows visitors to directly practice chanting mantras, transforming the exhibition experience into a spiritual act.
In Vajrayana Buddhism, Jambhala emphasizes the accumulation of merit and compassion, while the God of Wealth, a folk belief, is associated with prosperity in business and life.
The "spreading" space revolves around prayer flags (lungta) – a familiar symbol of Vajrayana Buddhism, where prayers are carried by the wind to spread blessings and compassion. Thousands of flags displayed here were collected from the mountain slopes near the Leh Palace (Ladakh, India), then washed and preserved before being placed in the exhibition space. At the end, they will all be returned to nature through a traditional burning ritual.
Lungta flags were collected from the ground on a hillside near Leh Palace in Ladakh, northern India.
Alongside these are woodblock prints originating from Dharamshala, the traditional flag-printing tool of the Himalayan region. Each flag features a Wind Horse at the center, along with mythical creatures and Tibetan mantras, representing a belief in protection and balance.
Lungta flag woodblocks - traditional tools for creating Lungta flags using woodblock printing in the Himalayan mountain regions.
From this foundation, the exhibition expands the concept of dissemination to a contemporary context, where Buddhist imagery and content continue to circulate strongly in the digital space, creating new forms of connection within the community.
Meanwhile, the "rotation" revolves around the Dharma Wheel and the prayer wheel. These prayer wheels are placed in space for visitors to directly spin, recreating an ancient practice of Vajrayana Buddhism. Each rotation not only signifies prayer but also serves as a metaphor for the process of localization, as the teachings are "spinned" through different cultures to adapt and continue to exist.
Tibetan prayer wheels, also known as prayer wheels, often contain scriptures inside, and when spun, they have a similar effect to reciting those scriptures aloud.
Visual elements such as thangka paintings, auspicious knots, and victory banners are arranged as "visual tools," helping viewers access Buddhist philosophy through imagery. Simultaneously, the sounds of bells, drums, and chanting create a multi-sensory space where the experience extends beyond sight.
Connecting and Healing: When Art Becomes a Ritual
The final space – “connection” – brings the exhibition back to the Vietnamese context, where Buddhism is intertwined with history and collective memory. A bamboo installation, inspired by the Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Binh Phuoc, is constructed as an enclosed space. Red threads interwoven through the bamboo stalks form a vibrant network, symbolizing connection and healing. The space also connects to Vietnam's war history, where Buddhist rituals once played a role in salvation and healing.
The installation space is inspired by a similar space at Truc Lam Zen Monastery in Binh Phuoc, associated with the presence of the spirits of soldiers at the Headquarters of the South Vietnamese Liberation Army in Ta Thiet, Binh Phuoc.
The exhibition does not shy away from the complex aspects of contemporary Buddhism. From rituals such as fire purification and tsok offerings to the use of ritual objects, sounds, and clothing, everything is placed in relation to current life. These elements show that Buddhism exists not only in temples but is also present in every action and choice of human beings.
Notably, the exhibition also acknowledges the localization efforts through Vietnamese artisans. The domestically crafted Buddha statues, combining traditional techniques and modern technologies such as 3D printing, demonstrate how Buddhist art is being reinvented in a new context. This is not merely an acceptance but also a creative process, where foreign values are transformed into an integral part of local culture.
“Duyen Linh” does not aim to fully interpret Vajrayana Buddhism, but rather opens a space for dialogue between tradition and modernity, between belief and art. Through a system of symbols, objects, and experiences, the exhibition shows how a spiritual system can continue to live, transform, and spread in the contemporary world.
