Nhi Huỳnh _ “Muôn Buồn” Artbook

This is an artbook about 5 basic emotions of human when we experience a certain grief. Grief is always there, its magical, colorful and has its own beauty. Sometimes we are sad and miserable at the same time but that pain is the reason for us to grow.

This Artbook exist not only to tell people about the sadness but it also a letter of encouragement a diary for people who are coping with grief.
The central key visual of this artbook is the “door”, a timeless symbol of passage, transformation, and discovery. Each door represents one of the five stages of emotion—Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance. These emotions are not fixed states but thresholds we are destined to cross at different moments of our lives. By walking through each door, we symbolically engage with the emotions that define the human experience. Denial confronts us with the inability to accept reality, Anger bursts forth as resistance and frustration, Bargaining reflects our attempt to regain control, Depression reminds us of the depth of sorrow, and finally, Acceptance teaches us the grace of letting go and moving forward.

The journey through these doors is not linear nor predictable, but it is profoundly human. Each passage brings us closer to understanding ourselves. With every step, we peel back layers of confusion, vulnerability, and resistance until we rediscover clarity and resilience within. The act of crossing the doors reflects the truth that no matter how difficult an experience may be, life persists. It may not remain the same, but it will always continue, reshaping itself in ways both fragile and beautiful.

Accompanying this imagery, butterflies appear throughout the stages as subtle yet powerful metaphors. They embody the essence of transformation—fragile yet resilient, fleeting yet eternal. In Denial, they flicker faintly, symbolizing fragility. In Anger, their restless wings capture turbulence. In Bargaining, they represent a metamorphosis, the negotiation between what was and what could be. In Depression, their stillness reflects silence and weight, yet in Acceptance, they take flight—vivid, free, and full of promise. Through their delicate evolution, butterflies remind us that every ending holds within it the potential for renewal. Like them, we too can emerge from darkness into light.