French artist Helene Kling has breathed life into steel and other waste materials and created gorgeous artwork from them. Kling’s art will be showcased at an exhibit titled “The Dreamy Steel” in Ho Chi Minh City from Nov 14 to 18.

The exhibit, to take place at HCMC Exhibit House, 92 Le Thanh Ton, District 1, is expected to wow art enthusiasts and the general public.

Inspired by the French saying “Poubelle Plus Belle) (The most beautiful garbage bin), which implies that beauty can be hidden in waste, Kling began searching for inspiration in waste materials like corrugated iron sheets and cardboard during the past two years. She flattened them and coated them with anti-rust paint before starting to paint.

Kling’s art focuses on accentuating the grace of the women she finds most beautiful, such as opulent, elite French women, wild, weather-beaten African girls, and poor yet happy, strong-willed Vietnamese women.

To make the inanimate steel and waste materials come alive, Kling sprinkles jewels, pearls, and gold gilding over her paintings.

When Kling first came to Vietnam in 1996, she explored the country with photography. Eventually she found photography was not enough to express her infatuation with the country’s beauty, and so she switched to painting.