Nguyen Minh Phouc was born in Son La, Vietnam in 1973 and graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree from the Hanoi Fine Art University. As an artist, Nguyen Minh Phuoc strives to use his skills to send messages, not simply to create beauty. He is well known within Vietnam for introducing the concept of artistic installations and performance art. Many of Phuoc’s paintings focus on the iconic image of a monk or a group of monks, viewed from the back, travelling in a purposeful journey. The backgrounds of his works vary, from pagodas, temples, tree-tops, and even simply a deep hue of reddish-orange. The simplicity and two-dimensionality of the backgrounds serve to contrast the detail of the monks’ robes; as every fold and shade is in sharp focus. An additional distinctive characteristic of Phuoc’s artwork is the detail afforded to human musculature. Each monk is depicted with an effort toward the accuracy of the human form, juxtaposing it with the slightly ethereal aura and spirituality his pieces exhibit.