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.Hoa portrays children who live on the street in a highly stylized manner in ‘Childhood on the Streets’. This subject matter is unusual for Hoa as he does not usually make social commentary paintings, although his art since 2000 tends to revolve around the theme of stress of living in urban spaces and the difficulties that these immigrants faced. Faces barely distinguishable from the background, and the dull colour scheme perhaps foretell the grim future that awaits these children.
