About

Bio

I was born in Vietnam and moved to France in 1968. In Paris, I studied art at Atelier Roederer and cooking at Cordon Bleu. I also created a line of prêt-à-porter clothing for Yves Saint Laurent.

In 1983 I moved to the United States, where I opened a French restaurant and jazz club in San Jose before moving to San Francisco. There, I opened a bakery (Peasant Pies) that is now in its 32nd year.

In 2016, I became a docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, specializing in German Expressionism and Pop Art. Around the same time, I rediscovered my passion for painting.

About My Work

The natural world is the basis of all my art. Given our changing world and the uncertainty we all face, I have sought out nature as a place of peace, reflection, and solace.

I always take photos when I go on hikes or travel, focusing on details that might be easily missed or might not immediately be seen as “beautiful.”

I use these photos as the basis of my art. I enlarge them, mount them on canvas, and then apply acrylic paints to create something new. I add dots and pour paint to enhance details, create a three-dimensional quality, and modify shapes and lines. My goal is to create new ways of seeing these scenes from nature. I consider this process a deconstruction of the original image.