About us

Boi Tran Garden, an esteemed foundation that stands as a beacon of artistic and cultural heritage in Vietnam. Renowned as both Boi Tran Art Gallery and a pioneering force in the country's art scene, Boi Tran Garden holds the unique distinction of being the first and only gallery of its kind in the historic Imperial city of Hue. Since its inception in 1995, it has carved out a niche as an unparalleled sanctuary where art, antiques, and centuries-old architecture converge with the rich culinary traditions that have earned Hue its esteemed reputation as a culinary capital.

Boi Tran Garden, alongside Minh Chau Art Gallery (2000-2005) in Hanoi, has long been celebrated for its discerning eye and bespoke service in the realms of art acquisition and sale. The gallery offers a distinctive experience that seamlessly intertwines Hue’s traditional fine cuisine with its storied past, inviting visitors to explore both the visual and gastronomic splendors of this historic city.

Boi Tran, the visionary behind this garden, was born in the heart of Imperial Hue—a city steeped in history and resilience through the tumultuous 20th century. Despite these challenges, Boi Tran’s artistry and culinary prowess have flourished. Her garden, originally established on Thien An Hill in 1998 and later relocated to Kim Son Hill in 2022, is a testament to her dedication. Here, amidst the whispering pines and resilient blossoms, visitors can encounter masterpieces by leading Vietnamese artists such as Victor Tardieu, Vu Cao Dam, Tran Quang Tran, and many others, all housed in a charmingly preserved 100-year-old mansion infused with French Indochina influences.

The garden itself, a veritable Eden, reflects a harmony of diversity, elegance, and simplicity. Its ephemeral blooms—like the lotus and epiphyllum, which unfurl their petals only to vanish by dawn—symbolize the fleeting yet profound beauty of Boi Tran’s creative vision. The existence of this garden and the painter's work are inextricably linked, each enhancing and reflecting the other.

Among the many distinguished guests who have visited Boi Tran Garden is the celebrated Anthony Bourdain, who highlighted Boi Tran and her exquisite royal culinary creations on CNN’s Parts Unknown in 2014. Here, at Boi Tran Garden, we invite you to immerse yourself in a harmonious blend of art, history, and culinary delight, and to experience firsthand the unique legacy of one of Vietnam’s most cherished cultural treasures.

THE CALL FROM WITHIN

As an artist, I feel a profound compulsion to express my deepest gratitude for the myriad gifts that life has graciously bestowed upon me. The elegance and benevolence I have experienced often reveal themselves in the most modest yet profoundly significant ways—whether in a solemn prayer to our sacred Mother, the boundless embrace of maternal affection, or the tranquil beauty of nature's earliest light and the delicate dew that graces the morning.

These ephemeral moments, each a quiet testament to life's miracles, fill my existence with a radiant joy and a profound sense of wonder. They are the cherished gems of my journey, casting a gentle and enduring light that continually inspires and enriches the tapestry of my life.

Boi Tran

Management

MINH CHAU

General Manager
[email protected]

Based in San Diego, Minh Chau emerges from a lineage deeply rooted in the art culture of Hue. Her prior venture, the Minh Chau Art Gallery located at 7 Ly Dao Thanh Street in Hanoi, circa 2000, was renowned for its commitment to showcasing exceptional works. With a return to her heritage, the gallery has been meticulously reimagined to reflect traditional architectural styles, bridging the past with the present.

For over a decade, Minh Chau has dedicated herself to the art of collecting, amassing a distinguished collection that includes works by prominent artists such as Nguyen Gia Tri, Tran Van Can, Bui Xuan Phai, Nguyen Sang, Nguyen Trung, Dinh Cuong, Sy Ngoc, Tran Luu Hau, Diep Minh Chau, and Boi Tran, among others. Her collection is a testament to her discerning eye and deep appreciation for the rich tapestry of Vietnamese art and culture.

Thuc Doan / Bem — Vice Director, Art Researcher at Vietnamese Art Archive (www.thucdoan.com)

THUC DOAN / BEM

Deputy Manager
Art Researcher, Photographer
[email protected]

Immersed in a rich environment of art and cultural heritage, Thuc Doan has established herself as an eminent independent advisor, translator, and interpreter with a focus on Vietnamese art. Her professional expertise is centered on the curation and development of private art collections. She provides specialized curatorial and consultancy services for collectors, buyers, and consignors.

At the Vietnamese Art Archive, Thuc Doan plays a pivotal role in producing reference catalogues, translating scholarly articles, and providing insightful information. Her work supports renowned institutions such as Christie’s and Art Agenda S.E.A., as well as a wide range of private collectors both locally and internationally. Her dedication to advancing the understanding and dissemination of Vietnamese art highlights her influential presence in the global art sphere.

Boi Tran — Artist, Senior Consultant

BOI TRAN

Artist, Advisor
[email protected]

Hailing from Hue, Vietnam, Boi Tran is a distinguished member of the Vietnam Fine Art Association, whose career has been marked by significant artistic achievements since 1996. Her work has been prominently displayed in various exhibitions across Hue and has found its place in both local and international private collections.

Boi Tran’s expertise lies in oil and lacquer painting, with her artistic practice predominantly focusing on themes such as Vietnamese women, maternity, nature, and religious motifs. Her contributions to the field are notable not only for their thematic depth but also for their technical sophistication. Boi Tran’s paintings have been exhibited and auctioned at some of the world’s most prestigious auction houses, including Sotheby’s, Christie’s, Bonhams, and Ravenel, where she is recognized as the sole female Vietnamese artist to achieve such distinction. Her work continues to enrich the global art discourse, reflecting both the cultural heritage and contemporary expressions of Vietnamese art.

Christie’s Paris: The Melchior Dejouany Collection ‘The Phoenix Glue and the Broken Silk Thread’

Christie’s: Southeast Asian Pictures’ Letter to Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1999

Council of Vietnamese Phan Family’s Honorary Certificate for Painter Boi Tran’s Sempiternal Contribution to the Community

Emeritus University Professor Vinh Tuong’s Letter: “Madame Boi Tran’s Artistry and Brilliance Bequeathed to us a Respect and Precious Memory that Lasts for Good”

Ancient Mansions’ Rebirth

Budda Master, Sugata Thich Chon Huong and his Inscription to the Woman Intellectual Boi Tran

Vinh Phoi, a Pioneering Abstract Expressionist, a Loyalist to the Imperial Hue and His Handwritten Reference Letter to Boi Tran and the Art Gallery
Tran Nguyen Dan, Deputy Director, Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum (1998-2003); Boi Tran and Cao Trong Thiem, Director, Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum (1998-2003); Hanoi, circa 2000.

Director of Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum Cao Trong Thiem and the Written Massage to Boi Tran

Mai Van Hien, Sketcher of the First Banknote for Vietnam and His Letter to Boi Tran and Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1998

Photographer Jean-Baptiste Huynh’s Message to Bem from Paris

Luu Cong Nhan: Endless Memoirs
Diep Minh Chau’s wife, Minh Chau, Boi Tran and Diep Minh Chau at his atelier in Saigon, 1994

Diep Minh Chau’s Drawings of Boi Tran and Minh Chau with His Inscriptions

Nguyen Trong Niet and Bui Xuan Phai’s Last Handwriting Before His Quietus in 1988
Vu Giang Huong, Painter, General Secretary, Vietnam Fine Arts Association (1994-1989); Tran Khanh Chuong, Painter, President, Vietnam Fine Arts Association (1999-2019); Boi Tran; Hoang Phu Ngoc Tuong, Author and Truong Be, Painter, President, Hue University of Fine Arts (1996-2002), Hue, Vietnam, 1995.

Truong Be: A Quest For The Absolute and His Handwriting to Boi Tran
Tran Luu Hau (Vietnam, 1928-2020) and Boi Tran on the occasion of Boi Tran's Solo Exhibition: The Call From My Within at Minh Chau Art Gallery, Hanoi, circa 2000.

“Nature and People from an Old Outlook” Exhibition, Invitation and a Handwritten Note of Viet Hai and Tran Luu Hau to Boi Tran
Dinh Cuong, Boi Tran, Truong Be and Vinh Phoi, Hue, circa 2010

Dinh Cuong: “A Piece of Poetry to the Lady on Thien An Hill in the Cold Drizzle”
Boi Tran and Le Ba Dang, Hue, circa 1995.

Le Ba Dang’s Handwritten Letter to Boi Tran in 1999
Trinh Cong Son and Boi Tran at Boi Tran Art Gallery, Hue, 1994

Epilogue by Trinh Cong Son on the Grand Opening of Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1995
Boi Tran and Buu Y, Boi Tran Art Gallery, Hue, 1995

Prologue by Buu Y on the Grand Opening of Boi Tran Art Gallery in 1995

Nguyen Trung’s Expression on Boi Tran’s Exhibition: I and the Call from My Within
Boi Tran and Nguyen Trung, Boi Tran Garden (Boi Tran Art Gallery), Hue, circa 1994.

Nguyen Trung’s Preamble on the Exhibition of Paintings: Hue in 1996
Ngo Manh Duc (B. 1941), son of Le Thi Luu (Vietnamese, 1911-1988) born on 1 January 1941, which he enunciates as “1.1.41” with his constant smile, speaking softly and slowly which never fails to grab the listener’s attention. He was brought up in a wonderful atmosphere of painters and intellectuals (often of Vietnamese origin), and this only helped to cement the ideals and traditions of family, close friends and kinships.

Words of Architect Ngo Manh Duc, Son of Le Thi Luu to Boi Tran and Her Work of Art

Director Nguyen Quang Dung’s Documentary TV Series “Ambrosia in all the Details” and Painter Boi Tran

Harper’s Bazaar: A Great Hue Destination

Christie’s: Women in Art from the XVI to the XXI Century

Éternité Magazine: Cloud Landing Collection by Designer Tran Thien Khanh and Photographer Tran Dinh Thuc Doan

Royal Cuisine – Cultural Interview: The Hue To Go by KF Seetoh

Anne-Solenne Hatte and “La Cuisine De Bà” or “Tasting Vietnam”

“Incubating Culture in Vietnam and Hue’s Rebirth as Vietnam’s Center of Art & Heritage” Hosted by Harvard Kennedy School, Fulbright University Vietnam and Boi Tran Garden

Ravenel: Select Modern & Contemporary Art, Vietnamese Modern Art

General Secretary, Germany Minister of Digital Affairs and Transport Volker Wissing’s Letter to Artist Boi Tran

“A Perfect Evening of Companionship” with Skirball Cultural Center Founding President and CEO Uri D Herscher

Shanghai Pujiang Southeast Asia Culture and Art Exchange Center President Zhang Zhi Yong Celebrates Boi Tran’s Solo Exhibition: Le Rêve Qui Veille

Boi Tran: “Le Rêve Qui Veille” by Christie’s Senior Expert Jean-François Hubert
William Adams, chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities and a Vietnam veteran, moderates a panel discussion, “The Troops: A View from the Front Lines” on Thursday, April 28, 2016, at the LBJ Presidential Library. The panel discussion was part of the LBJ library’s three-day Vietnam War Summit. LBJ Library photo by Jay Godwin 04/28/2016

Fine Dining Deepened in Endless Conversation with Mr William Drea “Bro” Adams and Mr Joe Boulos

Largest Museum in Canada: Royal Ontario Museum and Letter to Painter Boi Tran

Cultural Exchange: Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung, Deputy Secretary (Asia-Pacific), Singapore Ministry of Foreign Affairs Mr Ng Teck Hean and Painter Boi Tran

Christie’s: Se Souvenir Des Belles Choses – A Curated Collection of Vietnamese Art

Brigitte Woman: The Kitchen of Smiles

Group Exhibition ”Chòn Chòn”: Hanoi and Hue Young Artists Co-Sponsored by Boi Tran Garden in 2015

Cultural Exchange: The Combination of Hue Royal Refined Music and Hue Culinary Culture

Heritage Magazine: Best of Both Worlds

Anthony Bourdain Parts Unknown: Vivacious in Vietnam

A Fork in Asia’s Road: The Hue Home by John Krich

Thanh Nien News: Complete Transcendence

DestinAsian Magazine: Hungry for Hue

German Television Broadcaster ZDF Interview by Journalist Peter Kunz: Artist Boi Tran and the Gracefulness of Her Art, Cuisine and Architecture at Boi Tran Garden

“Thank you for opening your house to us but furthermore, your heart” – Gilbert Montagné

Travel+Leisure Magazine: Vietnamese Food – The Ultimate Food Guide

Boi Tran ‘Madonna’, the First Time Presented and Phenomenally Hammered at Sotheby’s Hong Kong in 2008