Born in Houston in 1979, Phi Phi Oanh received her BFA at Parsons School of Design (2002) and a Masters in Art and Investigation at the University of Madrid Complutense (2012). In 2004, she received a Fulbright Grant to study lacquer painting in Hanoi. Since then, Vietnamese lacquer has become central to her work, which focuses on its potential as a painting medium to convey memory or reflection, examine current theories of the image and expand into more experimental methods and scale.

Oanh Phi Phi's notable exhibitions include: SCRY – Manzi Art Space, Hanoi – 2017; ‘Pro Se’ - National Gallery Singapore - 2017; ‘Make Shift’ and ‘Palimpsest’ - FOST Gallery, Gillman Barracks, Singapore – 2017 & 2014; ‘Specula’ - Singapore Biennale – 2013; ‘Black Box’ - Vietnam National Arts Museum, Hanoi – 2007. In 2018, Oanh participated in the public art project ‘INTO THIN AIR 2’ (Manzi Art Space) with a virtual installation ‘From Below, Upward’