Dinh Q. Lê in 2019

ACC is deeply saddened by the recent passing of Dinh Q. Lê on April 6, 2024, in Ho Chi Minh City. As a multimedia artist, Lê created artistic weavings through photography, film, sculpture, print, and installation that often spoke to the multifaceted story of Vietnamese life before, during, and after the Vietnam War. His work questioned the viability of collective memory and revealed the effects of trauma on culture and communities. Many of Lê’s most notable works were photographic weavings inspired by Vietnamese grass mat weavings, channeling his own recollections of war, home, and identity. 

His work and influence brought invaluable opportunities to emerging creatives in Vietnam. In 2007 he co-founded the nonprofit Sàn Art, an artist-led platform and independent arts organization in Vietnam creating a site for critical discourse through educational and artistic initiatives. In 2008 and 2010, Dinh Q. Lê and Sàn Art were awarded grants from ACC to fulfill cultural exchange projects bringing Goh Ideta and four Vietnamese American artists, respectively, to experience and contribute to Sàn Art’s center in Ho Chi Minh City. 



Left to right: ACC grantees Mella Jaarsma, Dinh Q. Lê, Alia Swastika, ACC Trustee Ruby Shang (ACC 1988), and Amna Kusumo


We are proud to have supported Lê in his work to share cultural stories and expand international dialogue for artists, scholars, and creatives from Vietnam and for communities around the world. Read more about Dinh Q. Lê’s life and career here, and learn more about his nonprofit Sàn Art here.