Photo Gallery: From Vision to Reality
Mural Motifs
The Fabric
The Fabric
The Fabric
"This is an homage to the Ao Dai and the tailoring community that is so prominent in our culture. My grandma made her own clothes so this is a tribute to my own family experience."
The Tiger
The Fabric
The Fabric
Licensed from Brian Hoang of Halifax, Canada. "The energy of the tiger is designed to show how we approach all of life's challenges, with fearlessness and strength as well as all of the exciting opportunities and adventure of what's to come in the new year."
The Ocean
The Fabric
The Ocean
The ocean wave represents so many things, the journey of the refugees, it represents life, it represents generational turmoil we still have today. The ocean reminds us of the family we have in Vietnam that we miss and wish we could be with.
The ocean also represents the refugee journey as well as the generational turmoil that many of us k
The ocean wave represents so many things, the journey of the refugees, it represents life, it represents generational turmoil we still have today. The ocean reminds us of the family we have in Vietnam that we miss and wish we could be with.
The ocean also represents the refugee journey as well as the generational turmoil that many of us know. It reminds us of the family we left behind as well as how disconnected we feel with each other like we are oceans apart even when we live in the same household.
The Woman
The Tattoos
The Ocean
The woman is designed to capture the essence of a modern Asian woman. I used images of my grandmother when she was young to design her stoic expression, parts of my own face and made up the rest to my interpretation. Her eyes and lips communicate pride, mysteriousness and a sense of sadness. She bears the ancestral human spirit that is d
The woman is designed to capture the essence of a modern Asian woman. I used images of my grandmother when she was young to design her stoic expression, parts of my own face and made up the rest to my interpretation. Her eyes and lips communicate pride, mysteriousness and a sense of sadness. She bears the ancestral human spirit that is depicted here as the energy of the tiger to show strength of where we come from and what we still celebrate today for the Tet festival.
The strongest people I know in my life are Asian women, we often hide our pain and don't always ask for help because we are so independent. Her stoic expression I hope conveys that.
The Tattoos
The Tattoos
The Tattoos
"Tattoos were a part of traditional Vietnamese culture in the 1400s where fishermen would tattoo fish scales and sea creatures on their bodies to protect them from sea monsters when they would go out in the ocean. It is a tie between the old and new connecting us to where we've been and where we are now because these traditions are popular today."
The Lotus
The Tattoos
The Tattoos
"The lotus represents the flower of Vietnam. The lotus plant provides food and nurturement for us. It grows in muddy water but still produces beautiful flowers. It represents the resiliency of the Vietnamese people."
About the Artist: Thao Huynh French
Murals, flowers, and heritage
Thao Huynh French is an artist, muralist and photographer. Born in Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam, she currently lives and works in San Diego, Ca. She is best known for co-founding Mindful Murals™ with her husband, where together they’ve painted over 300 community murals for schools and public spaces all over California. In addition to painting murals, she also paints commissions and displays artwork in galleries.
Her work explores different varieties of flowers, family history and her Asian American heritage. Her art is a mixture of abstract and figurative concepts that are often broad and contrasting in ways of style and mediums with no limitation of color. Her work continues to evolve, using her training in traditional painting and figurative drawing to experiment with more modern ways to create art styles that are uniquely hers.
Mindful Murals
We are a small but mighty team of artists committed to helping our communities thrive through our love for functional art. In addition to our mural painting services, we offer thoughtfully designed products and print them here in Southern California to support local businesses. We are the passionate few that prioritize People over Profits. That is what sets us apart.
Viet Vote
Our organization is a non-partisan, non-profit founded in 2019, dedicated to the empowerment of the Vietnamese community in San Diego through voting and civic engagement. We also aim to communicate information, resources, and program services to the Vietnamese community, such as vaccination appointments, renter and business relief programs, and community events.