The Many Meanings of Red: “ĐỎ” Offers Three Photographers' Perspectives on the World

A single color has no intrinsic meaning, but rather contains and reflects the many emotions, memories, and experiences an individual associates with it. Red, for example, means something different to everyone, particularly those who look deeply and with great intention.

Trần Thanh Thảo, Hoàng Lê Giang and Tín Phùng, three notable photographers with different backgrounds, interests, and artistic journeys, are united around red at ĐỎ, a photo-exhibition at the newly launched art space 224 SPACE from November 12 to 23, 2025. Guests will not only see red in new ways, but through the eyes and experiences of talented individuals with confident visions. 

“I’m a nostalgic person, so I love capturing ordinary objects because they evoke familiar memories. I’m drawn to simple beauty, photographed with my most honest emotions. I hope that sincerity creates a connection with the viewer, allowing them to feel a piece of their own memory, their own emotion,” explains Trần Thanh Thảo, founder of 224 SPACE and Leica M11 ambassador in Vietnam.

Thảo's appreciation for subtle details and the markers of everyday life reveals itself through the photos featured in ĐỎ. In one, the enormity of a mountain Village in Pakistan is rendered via a simple aluminum tray with a teacup, red mug and humble pastries that remind her of her grandmother’s home. In another, an elderly Dao woman draped in bright red, doing routine domestic chores in Sa Pa allows Thảo to reflect upon the gentle grace and charm that embody concepts of Vietnamese femininity. 

Meanwhile, for seasoned explorer Hoàng Lê Giang, photographs are a means to tell stories about the relationships between people and the environment, frequently highlighting the ways in which they contrast. With extremes of light, color, and negative space, stillness and movement juxtapose alongside living and unliving existence. This duality is articulated in his photo that foregrounds a blur of individuals moving rapidly against sturdy walls painted bright red.

Another of Giang's photographs on display at ĐỎ contains a bright red home beneath snow-covered mountains and a cloud-filled sky. He explains: “Some might say placing red against white snow is a bit classic, even cliché, but I don’t mind. If I like it, I go with it. To me, a red dot in the middle of nature evokes a sense of not fearing solitude, not fearing self-expression. Even if it feels a little different or draws attention, it’s something I love — it’s who I am, so I let it show.”

The third photographer, Tín Phùng, is drawn to wild exuberance. Recognized for his bright tones that inspire warmth and connection in viewers, his photographs in ĐỎ consider the cherished art of Hát Bội. “To me, photography is a storytelling tool, much like a writer’s pen. Through color, light, and captured moments, photographs can convey the spirit and beauty of Hát Bội — from the makeup and expressions to the performance space. It’s how photography contributes to safeguarding values that are slowly disappearing,” he says. “I wanted to preserve those values so future generations, and even my own, could see the beauty of our cultural heritage.”

With lavish red curtains, swirling red drapes, and bold red on masks, Tín Phùng's photographs of Hát Bội offer the grandeur and vibrance he is known for while underscoring the spirited traditions that the performers and audiences are so eager to preserve as memories but also ongoing activities elemental to Vietnamese culture.

Thảo summarizes ĐỎ well when noting that “the common thread is that all three of us explore red in our work. The difference lies in how each of us tells our own ‘red’  story — no two are alike.”

From left to right: Trần Thanh Thảo, Tín Phùng, Hoàng Lê Giang and Tín Phùng.

Giang expands on these differences, saying: “Tín Phùng’s work draws from the vibrant red of Vietnamese street life and Hát Bội, a fascinating approach using familiar materials. Meanwhile, Thảo captures red in a softer, more delicate way, very different from the bold reds I often use.”

Finally, Tín Phùng perhaps speaks for all of us who are lucky enough to visit 224 SPACE during the exhibition when saying: "Each of us has our own personality and starting point, so differences are natural [...] I hope to learn from them through this exhibition.”