Born in Hội An, Nguyễn Quốc Dân grew up with his mother in a junkyard. This early environment nurtured in him a resourceful spirit—learning to transform discarded materials into functional, meaningful objects. For Dân, trash is not something to be rejected or reviled. It is something to be loved. He thanks trash for sheltering him, for raising him, for shaping who he is.

Through his latest exhibition, Materia Renata, Nguyễn Quốc Dân celebrates the overlooked beauty of trash. The show is a tribute—not only to the material itself, but to the friends and family who have shared his journey.