Born and raised in Vietnam until he was 4-years-old, he and his family escaped from Saigon the day before it fell. In 1982, his mother died, and at age 16 he raised the four younger brothers and sisters. He took commercial art classes in Denver, and his inspiration toward fine art was Rene Bruhin who taught him to see shapes, values, color and textures. An art dealer, Mikkel Saks, discovered his talent and promoted him in his gallery, which led to his great success as a nationally renowned figurative artist.