Steinhauer, who was born in 1966 in Colorado, gave an evidence of his own artistic skills early, when in 1991 he got a degree at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design in Denver and then in 1993, when he got the Associate Degree of Photography at the Colorado Institute of Art in Denver. The Institute of Art, furthermore, awarded him the Alumni of Eloquence prize in 1994, and this was only the first of many prizes. For his works Steinhauer has already received the Award of Excellence in Photography in 1996, the "Mamiya Photo Education Awards of Excellence" in 2000, the Alumni Hall of Fame Award, which was awarded to him by the Art Institute of Colorado, and the Ford Foundation Grant for Work in Vietnam, in 2004.



The strong connection between the artist and Vietnam dates back to the 1993, when he moves to Hanoi to create his black and white photographs book about Vietnam. In 1997 he moves to another city in Vietnam, Saigon, then he lives also in Singapore, Washington and Hong King, where he is currently living, but he has always been very bound to Vietnam, and an evidence of this is given by his works, publications and exhibitions. Among his publications, for example, books like "Vietnam: Portraits and Landscapes and Enduring Spirit of Vietnam have been particularly successful, and the latter, which was published in 2006, has also been awarded a price as the best photography book of the year by Photo District News. Enduring Spirit of Vietnam is also the title of one of Steinhauer's solo exhibitions, which was hosted by the Art Vietnam Gallery in 2006.

Apart from solo exhibitions, Steinhauer's works have played an important role also in some group exhibitions, which have taken place all around the world, like The Ten Courts of the Kings of Hell - Vietnam Past and Present (London, 2005), Vietnamese Lacquer Painters, A New Age, an exhibition that was hosted between 2000 and 2001 in various countries all over the world, A Winding River. The Journey of Contemporary Art in Vietnam, which was organised in the United States, Passage to Vietnam, in 1994, and Vietnam: a decade in Images, which included works realised by Steinhauer and by the Vietnamese artist Nguyen Hoai Linh. This exhibition was organised in 2005 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of normalization of diplomatic relations between the United States and Vietnam. Those who appreciate the wonderful pictures realised by the American artist will find his works also in many museums, galleries and private collections all around the world, and in all of his works they will certainly appreciate his main stylistic features, which have made him famous both in the United Stares and in Asia: with his sensitivity and precision he has realised black and white photos depicting Vietnam's life and landscapes, and he has succeeded in documenting their changes in time.

If you love photography and you also want to enjoy beautiful Vietnam's landscapes you must go to Hanoi and visit the exhibition dedicated to Peter Steinhauer: book now your cheap hotel in Hanoi!

Date: 12th December 2008 - 2nd January 2009

Location: Art Vietnam Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam