Lêna Bùi works primarily with painting and video. Her work moves back and forth between various cultures and values, sometimes comparing and contrasting to better understand the socio-political make-up of the society she lives in and how that shapes the way we move forward as a whole. She’s deeply interested in nature, our position as a part of it and a separation from it, our reliance on it, our altercation of it, our respect for it as well as our disrespect.

Precious. Rare. For Sale. explores the representations and exploitations of nature as depicted in Vietnamese moving images mainly from the 1990s. By juxtaposing diverse scenes—mythical beasts, wartime narratives, social realist tragedies, and even a French portrayal of the Vietnamese “primitive” jungle—Bùi illustrates how these images are shaped by shifting socio-political contexts. Moreover, the film contrasts these historical representations with today’s vlog imagery, often used to fuel property development.

In contrast to the striking footage, Bùi’s delicate ink and watercolor paintings on silk portray landscapes and natural elements, such as the sun, wind, air, water, and earth. The works also feature a scene from Tra Vinh in the Mekong Delta, drawing attention to the recent climate difficulties in the region, including droughts and the human-caused destruction of the ecosystem.

Bùi’s exhibited widely including at the Nguyen Art Foundation, Vietnam (2024); with Delfina Foundation, London (2023); at Asian Film Archive, Singapore (2023); Jeju Biennale, South Korea (2022); Sharjah Art Foundation, UAE (2018); Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Germany (2017), among others.