On December 7, 2022 my dad Nguyễn Văn Quang Huy (Buddhist name Tánh Lạc, meaning ‘Happy character’), passed away unexpectedly. In the immediate hours, weeks, and months that followed I began documenting my days without understanding why. What emerged was this collection of moments of immense grief and love. Paralyzed creatively by my own mourning, I felt compelled to share these images and captions on social media – the only things I could make during this time.

In Buddhist tradition they say it takes 49 ngày (days) to be reborn. I don’t know who they is. But maybe I believe them. This photo essay follows the world left behind while someone embarks on their journey through the bardo.