Nguyễn Sĩ Thiết (1943–2021) was a painter whose career was deeply connected to the people, everyday life and historical transformations of 20th-century Vietnam. Born in Sơn Tây, his practice encompassed a wide range of subjects, from landscapes and daily life to labour, soldiers, propaganda art and historical figures.

He was particularly recognised for his works depicting President Hồ Chí Minh. Among them, Hồ Chí Minh and the Ethnic Groups holds a special place in his career: according to the story of its creation, President Hồ Chí Minh personally viewed the artist's preliminary pencil sketch before his death.

Nguyễn Sĩ Thiết's talent was recognised from an early age. In 1959, at just 16, his work was selected for an international children's art exhibition in India. Throughout his career, he participated in numerous exhibitions in Vietnam and abroad, and in 1981 received First Prize at the National Fine Arts Exhibition.

His works are represented in collections in Vietnam and internationally, including in France, Italy and Germany, helping preserve and share visual memories of 20th-century Vietnam with audiences beyond the country.

A Special Collection – Vietnamese Memories Through Watercolour

For this presentation, Asian Art Bridge introduces a collection of Nguyễn Sĩ Thiết's watercolours on paper, ranging from landscapes and nature to figures and scenes of everyday life.

Through the delicate medium of watercolour, each work functions both as a painting and as a fragment of memory, preserving the atmosphere, rhythms and visual character of Vietnam during a period now passed.

The collection therefore offers not only an encounter with Nguyễn Sĩ Thiết's artistic legacy, but also a glimpse into Vietnam's visual history through the eyes of an artist who lived and worked within the era he portrayed.