Born in Ha Son Province, Nguyen Quan (b.1948) graduated with a degree in math and cybernetics in the German Democratic Republic in 1971. It was during this time aboard that Quan developed an interest in Surrealism. His painting style is one that incorporates Western influences with a Vietnamese sensibility that belies an Asian tendency. Immediately in the post-Doi Moi period, Quan’s works and ideas became highly influential in the art circle, which was suddenly liberated, and allowed to paint non-representational works.After his return from Germany, Quan began exploring an experimental style using broad lines to delineate form and light washes of watercolour. In ‘Cat Eating Fish’ the naive treatment reminds one of tribal art, for which fellow artist Nguyen Tu Nghiem was known.
