Phuong Quoc Tri was born in 1976 in central Vietnam in the small town of Phan Rang. He left home at the age of 12 to settle in Saigon where he struggled to earn a living and continue his education. Tri’s father and brother were self-taught artists and Tri shared their passion for expressing human emotion on a canvas and through sculptural works.

 

He is one of the most talented self-taught young artists in Vietnam and is a significant talent to watch. Tri’s works are almost exclusively figurative. His main themes include women of the minority tribes, nudes and women in traditional ao dai dresses. Each of his characters tells a story; some of longing, some of hardship, some of a destiny unknown. Tri’s works are like classical music – we are forced to think, reflect and feel the emotion to come to our own conclusions.

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His introverted characters appear to be deep in thought; their lives rich with joy and sorrow. Our eyes are drawn to the figures and we can not help but search for a deeper understanding of what they are thinking; what can we learn from them?

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His portraits do not only feature women of classical beauty but he reveals strength in the delicate and gives us a glimpse of the profundity of her personal life, showing that a muse’s beauty and power are more than skin deep.