Born in Nam Dinh in 1959, Dang Xuan Hoa graduated from Hanoi College of Fine Arts in 1983. Together with Tran Luong, Hong Viet Dung, Pham Quang Vinh and Ha Tri Hieu, they are known as the ‘Gang of Five’, an art collective that gained much attention in the immediate post-Doi Moi years. Hoa's works are expressionistic in style and he draws inspiration from traditional Vietnamese culture and everyday life. He is equally adept in the oil and gouache mediums.The conventional rules of perspective are ignored in favour of an expressionist representation of a still life. Functioning as signifiers of Vietnamese culture and life, the painting displays a seemingly random selection of objects that are commonly found in a Vietnamese home. Dang who has a fondness for cats has again included one in this painting.
