As part of Yarra City Council’s 50th anniversary celebrations of Vietnamese migration, Council commissioned Viet-My Bui, a second-generation Vietnamese-Australian artist, to create an artwork reflecting this milestone. 

Viet-My’s parents immigrated to Victoria in the 1980s, settling in Victoria Street, Richmond, a place deeply intertwined with Melbourne’s Vietnamese community. Her artwork, Đi Chợ Với Mẹ (Going to the Market with Mum), draws on childhood memories of accompanying her parents on their weekly market trips, capturing the vibrancy and cultural significance of the area. 

The piece features five versions of Viet-My’s mother, representing each decade since Vietnamese migration. From her teenage self in Vietnam, wearing an áo dài, to her present-day self, the artwork honours the resilience and contributions of Vietnamese migrants over the past 50 years. 

"Going to Richmond was a seminal experience for me as a young Vietnamese-Australian,” Viet-My Bui said. “It was a time where I was surrounded by people who looked and sounded like me, who spoke my language. It was a time where my mum seemed most vibrant. I took these trips for granted as a child, and I look back at them so fondly now.” 

Yarra City Council is proud to showcase this artwork as part of its anniversary celebrations, with more to come throughout the year.