Nguyen Thi Mai Trang was born into an artistic family in the historic Old Quarter of Hanoi, Vietnam, as one of seven siblings. Her artistic development was deeply shaped by her family’s profound passion for both art and music, as well as by the challenging realities of life during the Vietnam War, which lasted until she was eighteen. Her father, widely known by his stage name Hong Van, is celebrated for his large-scale oil portraits of President Ho Chi Minh, which were prominently displayed in government committees across numerous Vietnamese cities during the 1960s and 1970s. Continuing the family’s artistic legacy, her brothers Nguyen Hong Hung Van Thuyet, famous sculptor and visual artists in Vietnam.

In 1990, Maj Trang left Vietnam and moved to Sweden. Now a Swedish national, she is currently based in Örebro, working under the name MajTrang Art. For many years, however, it was Venice, Italy, that served as the starting point of her artistic journey.

MajTrang’s paintings convey both the drama and the beauty of people and nature, blending with personal memory and lived experience. Her practice is shaped by impressions of daily life in Vietnam and Europe, a dedicated path of self-study, and the lasting influence of renowned artists from around the world.

Over the past decade, her work has been exhibited in museums and galleries in Europe and Asia, such as the Vietnam Fine Arts Association and venues in Venice, Genoa, Milan, Bergamo, Örebro, and Stockholm.

The Last Portrait by Bùi Xuân Phái.

On March 31, 1988, the famous Vietnamese painter Bùi Xuân Phái painted a portrait of MajTrang. It became one of his final notable works, as he passed away just three months later on June 24, 1988. During the sitting, he instructed MajTrang to cross her hands, mirroring the iconic pose of Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. The portrait has since been sometimes nicknamed “Vietnam’s Mona Lisa”.

In 2024, she returned to Vietnam to exhibit at the Vietnam Fine Arts Association with 60 oil paintings, titled “MAJ TRANG OLSON - IN MEMORY OF BUI XUAN PHAI”. Celebrated across newspapers and television, the exhibition stood out as a cultural event, inspired by the world of literature, art, and society.

Recognition and Contribution.

Art critic Mai Thi Ngoc Oanh, Vice President of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association, once remarked: "Beyond her profound passion for painting, Maj Trang Olson is known for her warm and generous spirit, especially her deep love for the Vietnamese people. She has made significant donations to the Red Cross Society of Lang Son Province and the Vietnam Fine Arts Association to support compatriots and artists affected by Storm No. 3 – YAGI on September 7, 2024. Her unwavering dedication to Vietnamese Fine Arts is further exemplified by her pioneering sponsorship of the 'Fine Arts Creation Fund' of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association—a fund that continues to grow in strength and impact."

In 2024, Maj Trang Olson was awarded the prestigious Medal 'For the Cause of Vietnamese Fine Arts'—a distinction granted only once in a lifetime—for her foundational role in establishing the Fine Arts Creation Fund and her generous support of humanitarian efforts.

Each visit to her homeland, to her roots, fills her with profound joy as she witnesses Vietnam’s remarkable development and prosperity, standing proudly alongside other nations of the world.