Tran Thuy Thuy Vi, 37, started her professional life later than others of her age. She suffered physical and spiritual pains after a severe disease disabled one of her legs at the age of three.

She lost confidence in herself until she learned to make paintings from paper quilling, which has since changed her life.

The job of making paper quilling paintings has made Vi’s dream of standing up on her own feet come true.

She has opened her own painting workshop called Bo Bo at Khanh Hoi Condominium in HCMC’s District 4. The workshop is now the living and working space for ten people with disabilities.

Tran Thuy Thuy Vi shapes pieces of paper to make a paper quilling painting       A close look at a quilling painting produced at Bo Bo workshop. Artisans of the workshop still have difficulty finding outlets for their products, which cost VND60,000 (US$2.67) to VND2 million per unit       Ra La Luon, a Cham ethnic woman from the central province of Phu Yen, presents a finished paper quilling painting         Vi and her staff are at Bo Bo quilling paper workshop           Making paper quilling paintings requires effort, carefulness and patience