Tran Van Thao

b. 1961, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Lives and works in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Tran Van Thao, one of Vietnam’s foremost abstract painters, is recognised for his individual markings, rich colour fields and compositions that convey a sense of harmony and balance through a contemplative atmosphere that invites introspection and mindfulness. For Tran, inspiration comes from the humble yet dynamic experience of everyday life, as well as the immediacy of his surroundings. Tran’s work can be raw with primitivist markings or rich with colour fields. Veils of oil paint, scumbled areas of depth, papier-mâché, collage and brazen linear shapes are all basic ingredients of his stylistic repertoire.

Tran belongs to an influential group of painters who rose to prominence in the 90s following the 1986 Doi Moi economic reforms. Part of the historic Group of 10 artists that catalysed the process to recognise abstraction as a legitimate genre of the visual arts in Vietnam, Tran was one of the group’s most prominent members.

Biography information www.galleriequynh.com, April 2022