OUR PHILOSOPHY
We believe every child
deserves access to creativity,
regardless of background or circumstance.
Vietnam Cultural Exchange (VNCE) is a nonprofit arts and cultural organization in Da Nang, Vietnam dedicated to supporting children's creativity through art education, cultural exchange and community engagement.
By offering children's art workshops, exhibitions and collaborative learning experiences, we help young people explore new ideas, express themselves and connect with the wider world.
Meet Our Core Team
Oanh Lê
FOUNDER, VNCE
Founded VNCE in 2018 with one simple belief: every child deserves access to art. Today, she leads a nonprofit community where creativity, cultural exchange and children's art education bring people together across generations and cultures.
Roby Bellemans
ART & EDUCATION ADVISOR
With decades of experience in museums and arts education, Roby helps guide VNCE's long-term vision. His work focuses on making art more welcoming, accessible and meaningful for children and communities.
Gulya Qualia
CURATOR, B&P - ART FOR CHILDREN
Originally from Russia, Gulya is an educator and mother of two. As VNCE's Curator, she creates exhibitions and children's workshops that encourage curiosity, imagination and creative confidence through art.
Quý Trần
TRÀ NÔM MANAGER
Quý helps transform ideas into everyday experiences at VNCE. By managing Trà Nôm and coordinating daily operations, she creates a welcoming environment where every cup of tea helps support free children's art workshops.
Phương Quách
LOCAL ARTIST
Phương has helped shape the organization since its beginning. Through exhibitions, cultural workshops and Vietnamese traditional arts, he connects children with creativity rooted in local culture.
Scroll down to read each team member's story
Oanh Lê
FOUNDER
Every child deserves the chance to create—not because they may become artists, but because creativity belongs to everyone.
Our Story
Where It All Began
One conversation can change a life.
In 2016, while visiting a small children's art gallery in the Netherlands, Oanh met the gallery's retired founder. As they talked about creativity and childhood, he shared a simple belief: art should never be a luxury—it should be part of every child's everyday life.
That conversation stayed with her long after she returned home. It became the seed of an idea that would eventually grow into Vietnam Cultural Exchange, a nonprofit art organization dedicated to making children's art education more accessible in Da Nang.
Building Vietnam Cultural Exchange
In 2018, Oanh left Hanoi and returned to her hometown of Da Nang to turn that idea into reality. Together with local artist Phương Quách, she founded Vietnam Cultural Exchange (VNCE)—a community where children, artists and families could learn from one another through creativity and cultural exchange.
Today
In 2024, Oanh returned to Vietnam with a renewed vision for VNCE. The organization reopened with two connected spaces: B&P – Art For Children, a nonprofit children's gallery, and Trà Nôm, a community tea house where every cup of tea helps support free creative workshops for children.
Today, she continues developing community art programs, cultural exchange initiatives and partnerships with artists, educators and volunteers from around the world. For Oanh, art is not simply something to admire—it is something every child should have the opportunity to experience, regardless of background or circumstance.
Believing that meaningful community work requires continuous learning, she later studied Media & Art in New York. Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced VNCE to close its physical gallery, the mission continued. Working remotely with Roby Bellemans and partners across Europe, she helped develop international collaborations that eventually led to artist exchanges between Vietnam and Europe.
Experience
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Founder of Vietnam Cultural Exchange (2018–Present)
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Co-founder of B&P – Art For Children
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Developed international cultural exchange programs between Vietnam and Europe
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Studied Media & Art in New York
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Leads VNCE's long-term vision, partnerships and community development
What Inspires Me
Watching children forget they are "making art" and simply enjoy creating together reminds me that creativity is something we are all born with—it only needs a place where it can grow.
At a Glance
📍 Based in
Da Nang, Vietnam
🌍 Languages
Vietnamese • English
🎨 Passionate About
Community Art & Cultural Exchange
🍵 Favorite Tea
Silver Neddle
❤️ Believes
Art should be accessible to every child.
Roby Bellemans
ART & EDUCATION ADVISOR
Art belongs in everyday life.
Our Story
A Lifetime in Museums
For decades, Roby Bellemans has believed that museums should be places where children feel curious rather than intimidated.
Throughout his career, he has worked in museums, galleries and community art projects, helping develop exhibitions and educational programs that invite people of all ages to experience art in meaningful ways.
His philosophy has always been simple: creativity grows when people feel welcomed.
A Shared Vision
Roby first met Oanh in 2015 through their shared passion for community art and cultural exchange.
Their conversations about museums, education and children's creativity eventually inspired the idea that became Vietnam Cultural Exchange.
Since VNCE was founded in 2018, Roby has remained one of the organization's closest mentors. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he continued supporting the team remotely while helping strengthen partnerships between Vietnamese and European artists.
Today
Today, Roby continues advising VNCE on exhibition design, arts education and long-term organizational development.
Rather than focusing only on individual events, he encourages sustainable programs that can continue serving children, artists and families for many years to come. His mentorship reflects VNCE's belief that meaningful cultural exchange begins with genuine human connection and shared creativity.
Experience
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Museum Director and Art Educator
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Art & Education Advisor at Vietnam Cultural Exchange
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International cultural exchange mentor
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Exhibition planning and gallery development
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Community arts leadership
What Inspires Me
Helping museums become places where children feel welcome instead of intimidated has been the most rewarding part of my journey in arts education.
At a Glance
📍 Originally From
Belgium
🌍 Languages
Dutch • English • Others
🏛️ Passionate About
Museum Education & Community Art
🍵 Favorite Drink
Coffee
❤️ Believes
Art becomes meaningful
when it is shared.
Gulya Qualia
CURATOR, B&P - ART FOR CHILDREN
Art helps children discover their own voice.
Our Story
A Love for Teaching
For Gulya, art has never been about creating perfect paintings.
It is about helping children discover confidence, curiosity and joy through the creative process.
Originally from Russia and now living in Da Nang, she has worked with children since 2013. As both an artist and the mother of two boys, she understands that every child learns differently. Her teaching approach combines storytelling, artistic exploration and gentle encouragement, allowing children to learn at their own pace.
Finding VNCE
Gulya first joined Vietnam Cultural Exchange as a volunteer, hoping simply to contribute her time and passion for children's art education.
She quickly discovered that VNCE shared the same values she had carried throughout her teaching journey—that creativity should be accessible to every child, regardless of background or artistic experience.
Her dedication soon led her to become VNCE's Curator.
Today
Today, Gulya curates exhibitions, develops weekly workshops and helps shape many of VNCE's creative learning experiences for children and families.
She enjoys introducing young artists to different cultures, artistic techniques and ways of thinking, encouraging them to experiment without fear of making mistakes. Through every exhibition and workshop, she continues building bridges between cultures while helping children discover their own creative voice.
Experience
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Teaching children since 2013
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Curator at Vietnam Cultural Exchange
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Designs weekly children's workshops
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Curates exhibitions and creative programs
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Develops cross-cultural learning experiences
What Inspires Me
Seeing a quiet child slowly become confident through colour, imagination and storytelling reminds me that creativity often begins with feeling safe enough to explore.
At a Glance
📍 Originally From
Russia
📍 Now Based In
Da Nang
🌍 Languages
Russia • English
🎨 Favorite Medium
Mixed Media & Watercolour
🍵 Favorite Drink
Coffee
❤️ Believes
Every child learns through curiosity.
Our Story
Growing with VNCE
Long before Vietnam Cultural Exchange reopened, Quý had already been part of Oanh's journey.
The two first met as classmates during university, where a friendship built on trust and shared values gradually grew into a long-term partnership. When Oanh shared her dream of rebuilding VNCE as a stronger community space, Quý immediately believed in the vision—not simply because it involved art, but because it brought people together.
Quý Trần
TRÀ NÔM MANAGER
Behind Every Creative Sunday
As Oanh continued living in the United States, Quý became the person turning ideas into reality in Vietnam.
She oversees the daily operations of Trà Nôm, prepares the space for visitors, supports new staff, coordinates logistics and quietly solves the countless behind-the-scenes challenges that keep VNCE running smoothly.
Many visitors see children's workshops filled with color and creativity.
Quý sees the preparation that makes those moments possible.
Small moments can create lasting impact.
Today
Today, Quý continues managing Trà Nôm as more than a tea house.
It has become a gathering place where families, artists, volunteers and visitors meet before workshops begin, conversations unfold naturally and every drink contributes directly to supporting free children's art education.
Her work reminds everyone that meaningful community projects are built through countless small acts of care repeated every single day.
Experience
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Community Operations Manager
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Trà Nôm Tea House Manager
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Daily nonprofit operations
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Volunteer and staff coordination
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Event logistics and visitor experience
What Inspires Me
Knowing that every welcoming conversation, every prepared table and every cup of tea helps create another opportunity for a child to experience art.
At a Glance
📍 Based in
Da Nang, Vietnam
🌍 Languages
Vietnamese
🍵 Passionate About
Community Hospitality
☕ Favorite Drink
Vietnamese
❤️ Believes
Communities grow stronger
when people feel welcomed.
Phương Quách
ART & EDUCATION ADVISOR
Creativity grows stronger when it is rooted in culture.
Our Story
Building a Dream Together
When Vietnam Cultural Exchange was founded in 2018, Phương stood beside Oanh from the very beginning.
Together, they shared a simple vision: to create a nonprofit space where children could experience art freely while local artists connected with international creative communities.
From the earliest exhibitions to the first children's workshops, Phương helped transform ideas into a living community.
Through Every Challenge
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced VNCE to close its physical gallery, the organization faced one of its greatest challenges.
While Oanh continued developing international partnerships from abroad, Phương remained in Vietnam, maintaining local relationships, managing administrative responsibilities and helping preserve the foundation of the organization until it could reopen again.
His steady commitment became one of the reasons VNCE was able to begin again.
Today
Today, Phương leads many of VNCE's cultural programs, introducing children to Vietnamese traditions through hands-on artistic experiences.
From Lunar New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival to folk art and traditional crafts, she encourages young learners to see culture not as history, but as something they can continue creating themselves.
His work helps connect creativity, identity and community across generations.
Experience
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Co-founder of Vietnam Cultural Exchange
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Community arts facilitator
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Vietnamese cultural workshops
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Exhibition coordination
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Local artist engagement
What Inspires Me
Seeing children discover that traditional culture is not something to memorize—it is something they can experience, reinterpret and proudly carry into the future.
At a Glance
📍 Based in
Da Nang, Vietnam
🌍 Languages
Vietnamese
🎨 Passionate About
Vietnamese Folk Arts
🖌️ Favorite Medium
Traditional Crafts & Architecture
❤️ Believes
Culture becomes meaningful when
children experience it themselves.
A Community Beyond Our Team
Throughout the years, hundreds of artists, volunteers, students, educators, and families have contributed their time, knowledge, and creativity to VNCE.
Although not everyone appears on this page, each person has helped shape our story.
From international artists to local families, every contribution makes children's creativity possible.
Interested in volunteering or colaborating with us?
We would love to hear from you.
Our Impact Together
BEHIND THE SCENES
Care in every detail.
Behind every workshop, exhibition,
and cup of tea is preparation,
collaboration, and a lot of heart.
This is our everyday.
