The meeting between PV and Hien Nguyen took place at her restoration workshop in An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Thao Dien Ward, Thu Duc City) surrounded by paintings, brushes, chemicals, along with a spectrometer, knives, scissors, pliers, hammers, chisels...
Watching her wearing gloves, carefully peeling off each small piece of oil paint on the painting, processing and then reattaching it with specialized chemicals, one can see that the work requires high meticulousness as well as boundless love for art. She said that the time to restore a painting can take several weeks, several months, even many years depending on the level of damage.
Hien Nguyen at the painting restoration workshop in An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: DT
Requires multidisciplinary knowledge
Hien Nguyen received extensive training in conservation and restoration in France, where she was exposed to modern methods and international standards in the conservation of paintings and sculptures. After returning to Vietnam 5 years ago, she has applied that knowledge into practice in Vietnam.
Hien Nguyen at the painting restoration workshop in An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: DT
She is the only partner in consulting on preservation and restoration of fine arts for the Ho Chi Minh City Museum of Fine Arts, consulting on preservation and restoration of fine arts for the Reunification Hall (Ho Chi Minh City). Hien Nguyen has restored Indochina paintings at the exhibition " Old Souls, Strange Wharf" organized by Sotheby's in Vietnam (July 2022), restored many works for the exhibition " In Ivory White Jade" in Da Nang (December 2023), restored 20 oil paintings of King Ham Nghi in the exhibition " Heaven, Mountains, Water" held in Hue (March 2025)...
Restoration of the work of famous painter Le Pho. Photo: NVCC
According to her, restoring works of art is a profession that requires multidisciplinary knowledge from history, science , and chemistry. "This profession is still quite new to the Vietnamese art market. The problems I often encounter are: Serious deterioration of works due to improper preservation, environmental impact, or the use of materials that are not durable over time. Lack of original documents for reference, making it difficult to come up with appropriate conservation without distorting the original value. Limited equipment and chemicals, compared to labs in France, technical conditions in Vietnam are still limited, so I import modern chemicals and equipment directly from abroad. The human factor is due to the difference in perception solutions between restoration experts and owners of works or interested public,” she shared.
Spectrophotometer of Ali Aymé's painting. Photo: NVCC
"I have repaired paintings worth millions of dollars through a microscope, by connecting each very small thread of fabric. Of course, when doing this, you need to be highly focused because just a little carelessness can ruin it," she said. She always updates and applies advanced technology and techniques in painting restoration to help analyze and evaluate works in a deeper, more detailed, and more accurate scope than what the naked eye cannot see.
Hien Nguyen uses a microscope in painting restoration. Photo: NVCC
Restoration of works by King Ham Nghi and famous Indochina painters
Ms. Hien Nguyen said that most of King Ham Nghi's works have problems such as: peeling, cracking, dust, mold and discoloration in many areas. Most of the paintings have peeled off the cardboard cover and caused the canvas to blister. This is the most difficult problem to handle. After the restoration work was completed, some works were reinforced with supporting materials; others had to have the edges of the canvas added so that they could be stretched onto the frame.
Painting restoration tools of Hien Nguyen. Photo: DT
She also revealed that she has restored many paintings by famous painters Le Pho, Vu Cao Dam, Mai Trung Thu, etc. "I once restored a painting worth more than 2 million USD (more than 53 billion VND) by Le Pho owned by a Vietnamese person. When I was doing it, I didn't care about how expensive the painting was, I just focused on restoring the painting to its original state," she added, confirming that many Vietnamese people own million-dollar paintings by famous painters of the Indochina period for the purpose of both their passion for art and investment.
Handling peeling paintings. Photo: NVCC
A stage of painting restoration. Photo: DT
Hien Nguyen is also one of 13 members of the Council for Restoration of the Nguyen Dynasty's unique throne that was damaged in May 2025. "I am the youngest member invited and proposed plans to restore and preserve the throne. In my opinion, it is completely possible to restore the damaged part," she said.
Hien Nguyen graduated from Atelier du Temps du Passé - Paris (France) in 2019, interned in conservation and restoration at many studios such as Atelier du Bac (Paris), Les Toiles du Temps (Lille)...
In 2006 - 2008, she studied urban architecture at the École Nationale Supérieuse d'Architecture de Bretagne in Rennes (France). In 2010, she studied interior design at the École d'Architecture et Design (Paris).
Comptoir du Temps - directed by Hien Nguyen, is a company specializing in restoration, conservation consulting, storage and forensic evaluation of multi-material works.
Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nguoi-va-tranh-trieu-usd-qua- Kinh-hien-vi-185250707234818966.htm
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