"Thị Màu- Thị Kính" - Oil on Paper, inspired by Cheo Opera

Thị Màu- Thị Kính (2016)

Widely considered to be the first opera set in the Vietnamese culture, the production tells the traditional tale of Thị Kính, a compassionate and selfless girl who eventually attains Nirvana.

Falsely accused of attempting to kill her husband, Thị Kính disguises herself as a man and joins a Buddhist temple. There, she is falsely blamed for impregnating a young girl and is forced to leave the temple. As she goes, she discovers the baby abandoned at the gate, takes pity on the child and becomes a beggar to support it. She then dies, but due to her spirit of forgiveness and self-sacrifice, she enters the Pure Land and becomes the Compassionate Buddha.

There are many variations of the folktale, which dates back at least 1,000 years and appears in many different Buddhist traditions. It is also frequently re-told through traditional Vietnamese theater known as Hat Cheo. (IU Bloomington Newsroom)