Dinh Ngoc Thang, or rather under his artistic moniker “Thang”, is a Vietnamese contemporary painter. Born in Quang Xuong, Thanh Hoa, a province in Northern Vietnam, Thang endured a difficult childhood in the rural countryside. Despite the hardships faced in this harsh landscape, it was in this environment where he developed an appreciation and love for the beauty of both the terrain as well as the people who populated it.

Beginning his ventures into the creation of art as a self taught painter, Thang went on to formalize his study. He is also a current member of the “Young Artist Groups”. Thang practices philanthropic efforts as well, through participation in auctions to raise money for charities such as “Operation Smile” and “Art for Heart”. In 2015 with “Art for Heart” his piece “Ban Mai” raised $50,000, enough to aid 50 heart surgeries.

As mentioned, Thang was majorly touched by the agrarian surroundings of his youth, the influence of which is easily noticed across his collections. In his early works one can see a focus on women and children, carrying on their daily tasks in the countryside. Quoted in finding love and inspiration in “the beauty of Vietnamese women, the innocence of children, and the scenery of the homeland” Thang captures moments of ordinary life, at many times consisting of punishing labor and arduous chores. As these moments occur, perhaps lacking in description any amount of romanticism, Thang reveals levels of beauty in his renditions of those and that which inspire him. With his paintings, Thang works to bring the viewer to a place where they “can feel the romantic atmosphere in each work”.