For Do Trong Quy (b. 1994, Hanoi), whose childhood unfolded under the shifting tides of Doi Moi, painting became a way to navigate the world. His work is caught between pop culture and traditional techniques, with still lifes and miniature sculptures drawing from Western influences in early 2000s Vietnam. Embracing American minimalism, he began by removing narrative elements to focus on form and repetition.
Quy’s practice engages with scale and materiality to challenge perceptions of familiarity, creating subtle disruptions within seemingly playful compositions. Drawing inspiration from artists such as Agnes Martin and Clyfford Still, his work carries a deep sense of generational responsibility and reflects the evolving landscape of contemporary Vietnamese art. He holds a BFA from Vietnam University of Fine Arts (2020) and an MFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2024).