Mai Vo-Dinh @ Be Dot Gallery

Mai Vo-Dinh was born in 1933 in Hue, Vietnam.  His paintings and woodblocks have been exhibited throughout Asia, Europe, Canada, and the United States resulting in over 50 one-man exhibitions.  An author, translator, and illustrator, he had over 40 books to his credit.  He and Helen Coutant shared the prestigious Christopher Award for the book "First Snow" and he was a recipient of the Literature Program Fellowship from the National Endowment of the Arts.

"Vo-Dinh believed in painting as an exercise in mindfulness," said Calvin Ed Ramsburg, a long-time student and friend.  "He was more concerned with the doing than the outcome.  He signed one of his books to me with this note: 'Eddie, painting is more important than making a picture.'"

Some of the children's books Mai illustrated include: The Coconut Monk; The Hermit and the Well; Angel Child, Dragon Child; The Brocaded Slipped and Other Vietnamese Tales; The Land I Lost: Adventures of a Boy in Vietnam; and A Thousand Pails of Water, which he also co-wrote. Check on Amazon for a full list.

Below you will find a very small sample of his work created in 1999.  We hope to bring you more in the very near future.  Enjoy!