Le Thua Tien (b. 1964, Vietnam) graduated from the Hue University College of Arts in 1988, completed his postgraduate education at the Rijks Academy (The Netherlands, 1995–1996), and received his MFA from the UNSW Art & Design (Australia) in 2009. An enigmatic and private artist, Tien seeks solace in his art, his works balancing sensibility and criticality, and engages in both the visual and conceptual aspects of art making. While Tien’s earlier practice can be seen as an attempt to reconcile one’s grief and suffering of a war-torn past, his later work moves away from exploring specific concepts and toward developing a closer relationship with media such as lacquer, charcoal, text, painting, sculpture and installation.
Tien was a lecturer at the Hue University of Arts, Vietnam, from 1989 to 2008. He held his first solo exhibition titled Reflection at Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2006; followed by his first solo exhibition abroad at Meta House, the German Cambodian Cultural Center, Phnom Penh, Cambodia, 2011. Le Thua Tien has also exhibited significant installation projects including Armada, Paper Boats, Long Hai Beach, Ba Ria Vung Tau, Vietnam, 2002; Hoa dai, Hue, Vietnam, 2002; Anh trang, Song Huong, Hue, Vietnam, 2002; Field of Dreams, Moriya, Ibaraki Prefecture, Japan, 2003. His notable group exhibitions include from Roots to Canopy, Galerie Quynh, HCMC, Vietnam, 2023; L’Infini du Miroir, French Cultural Center in Hanoi, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2018; Open – 30 Years of Art during Doi Moi, Vietnam National Fine Arts Museum, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2016. In 2015, the artist participated in a residency at the Vermont Studio Center, USA.