Photographer Lê Bích speaks at the opening ceremony of Mẹ Yêu Con (A Mother’s Love) exhibition. VNS Photo Minh Thu

HÀ NỘI Photos capturing moving moments between mothers and their children taken by photographer Lê Bích over an almost 20 years period, are being displayed at Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hà Nội.

The Mẹ Yêu Con (A Mother’s Love) exhibition is aimed to commemorate the 114th anniversary of International Women's Day on March 8 and International Day of Happiness on March 20.

The photographer travelled through the northern mountainous provinces all the way to the central provinces. There he met and conversed with local people, and captured emotional moments between mothers and children with his lens.

At A Mother’s Love, visitors encounter stories about mother-child relationships in remote villages, from the high mountains covered in mist to the vast plains. The humble and sacred bond is present in every overflowing moment captured in photographs, brimming with love.

Regardless of the region or ethnicity, whether they are from the Mông, Thái, Nùng, Lô Lô Black, or Kinh ethnic groups, the expression of a mother's affection towards her beloved children is natural, whether it be in moments of work, play, rest or teach knowledge.

Trên Lưng Mẹ (On Mother's Back) by photographer Lê Bích.

The first photograph on the subject by Bích is titled Trên Lưng Mẹ (On Mother's Back), taken in 2005 at the Bắc Hà Market in Bắc Hà Town in the northern province of Lào Cai. The image of that moment evoked a special emotion in the photographer.

"The image of a Mông ethnic baby peacefully sleeping on the back of their mother, who was selling goods at a corner of the Bắc Hà Market, touched my heart in a powerful way and inspired my journey to explore the different facets of the mother-child relationship,” he recalled.

“With my works, I hope to touch the hearts of others, inspiring us to love our mothers more, as we all come into this world through them," shared the photographer.

After the exhibition concludes, Bích will donate the collection to the Vietnamese Women's Museum for display.

Vice Chairwoman of the Vietnam Women's Union Nguyễn Thị Minh Hương said she was filled with emotions after admiring the artworks.

"Through the exhibition by artist Lê Bích, I see these special yet ordinary and affectionate moments of mothers in both the rural and urban areas, in the mountains as well as the plains," she said.

“What makes it even more remarkable is that these sacred moments are captured through the lens and emotions of a male photographer who deeply understands the mother-child relationship."

A Mother’s Love exhibition runs until March 15.

Stories about the mother-child relationship in remote villages are told through Bích's photographs.

Born in 1972, Bích is now based in Hà Nội. He started to pursue photography in 2005, and has become renowned for capturing the essences of Vietnamese cultural heritages and traditional crafts.

Bích has won numerous photography awards and has organised several diverse exhibitions, including a solo exhibition titled Sắc Màu Cuộc Sống (Colours of Life) at the Vietnamese Women's Museum in 2018. VNS