On Cover (from clockwise from left to right):

Yohanna Meylemans, Muralist

Kendra Wise Shumake, Interior Designer

Trinh Mai, Artist; 

Gary Shanabarger, Interior Designer (center)

Douglas Trombino, Hair Stylist (bottom)

Leaders of Naples 2008: Trinh Mai - Speaking to Others 

by Daniel Casciato

As an artist, Trinh Mai's work is her voice. A voice which she hopes will speak to others.

"My paintings describe my story," Mai says. "Although they derive from personal narratives, they also embrace universal themes. Some of the work is hopeful, while some describe trying events in my life. Through painting, I share my story with the viewer. The details may vary, but we have all been through similar experiences, and we all are strengthened by them."

About nine months ago, Mai and her husband moved to Naples from San Jose, California, where she received her Bachelor of Fine Art degree from San Jose State University. Mai first visited Naples during the summer of 2002, and was struck by the tranquility of the area.

"I remember listening to the summer's orchestra of millions of insects, having fish swarm at my feet in the Gulf, and driving through a storm immediately into clear skies of sunlight," she recalls. "I have always been inspired by nature and felt so completely balanced here."

There is no typical day for an artist like Mai. For her, art is a lifestyle.

"Painting isn't necessarily applying paint onto canvas," explains Mai, who uses the lanai at her home as her studio space. "When I'm at the beach during sunset, processing my day, my experiences, and my life, that's part of the painting process. I internalize everything from the mundane to the extraordinary and incorporate that into my art in some way." 

For Mai, her passion in painting is a spiritual journey. "My instructors exposed me to so many wonderful artists. They always encouraged me to study varied work." Mai's body of work has been inspired by an array of artists, from neoclassical painter Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres to abstractionist Patrick Surgalski, from figurative painter hung Liu to landscape painter Kelly Clark.

Intrigued by the intuitive nature and subconscious effort involved in abstraction and the seductive textural quality of oils, Mai's  work consists primarily of oil on canvas. Working on large scale canvas allows her to be part of the environment she is creating, moving back and forth between the abstract and the figurative, and striving to find the balance of the two.

"Through creating, I am revealing my self and making sense of my world," she says. "Art is absolutely necessary in my life. I'm so thankful that I'm able to do what I love. It's rare for a first generation Vietnamese woman to pursue a life in art. Most are encouraged to conform to the more conventional professions, but my parents and family are so supportive of my passion. I am blessed to have this opportunity to share my work with others. Everyone is born with a gift, and it's important to share it."

Mai's work is currently appearing at: Room Interior Philosophy, SONA Gallery, Kilns N' Clay Pottery Studio, Naples Information Center, and Miromar Lakes Beach and Golf Clubhouse.