Born in Hanoi, Ha Tri Hieu (b.1959) graduated from Hanoi Industrial Fine Arts University in 1983. Together with Tran Luong, Pham Ouang Vinh, Hong Viet Dung and Dang Xuan Hoa, they are collectively known as the Hanoi ‘Gang of Five’. Hieu draws his inspiration from everyday life, cultural motifs and traditional art forms. He has participated in more than 15 exhibitions internationally, including two solo exhibitions in Vietnam.Hieu’s self-portraits are usually small in size and expressionistic in style. His love for the countryside sees him feeding a cow, yet not without the characteristic cigarette in hand. Influences from Cubism can be seen in this work.
