Born in Hanoi, Nguyen Minh Thanh (b.1971) graduated from Hanoi University of Fine Arts in 1996. Through drawings of himself and his mother, Thanh explores themes of familial relationships within the larger social, philosophical and psychological spheres. Since 1995, Thanh has participated in more than 30 solo and group exhibitions in Vietnam and other countries, including the United States, Australia, Germany, etc. Using a combination of watercolour, gouache, and Chinese ink on Japanese rice paper, Thanh’s self-portrait exhibits simple innocence, in a quiet and surreal manner. Unlike his other works, ‘Sleepless Nights I’ is complex and meticulously executed.
