Le Nang Hien (1921-2014), known as "Zuy Nhat," was born into a middle-class Confucian family in Hang Buom, Hanoi. He grew up during a tumultuous period when Vietnam was under French colonial rules and witnessed many historical events. Influenced by his family's traditional values and Western culture, Le Nang Hien adopted both knowledge and social behaviors to live up to his ideals and dedicate himself to art.

Le Nang Hien had shown his passion for art since primary school. He started drawing in the 1930s with the caricature "Ly Toet ringing the bell," published on the cover of Phong Hoa newspaper (Tu Luc Van Doan) in 1937, which was awarded the Second Prize by the newspaper. After graduation, he drew many caricatures for that newspaper, some of which were selected to be printed on the cover. He wanted to attend art school, but his parents could not afford it. Therefore, he took a remote drawing class in France (Cours ABC de Dessins par correspondance - Paris). His paintings would be mailed to France for the school to grade and returned to the student afterward. In addition, he often went to artist Tran Quang Tran's house weekly for further instructions.

Although he never attended a formal art school, Le Nang Hien developed a successful career as an independent artist. In 1945, he taught "Binh dan hoc vu" (a campaign started by the government to teach everyone how to read and write) at Hang Than Primary School with artist Manh Quynh. To maintain the class, they had to paint portraits. During this time, he also participated in some plays as an actor. In 1953, he opened a studio at 76 Hang Dau and worked as an artist drawing illustrations, posters, covers, and also for multiple newspapers and publishers such as Phong Hoa, Tia Sang, Van Hong Thinh. These drawings usually depicted Liberation Day, workers' lives, national reunification, feudal colonialism, portraits of young women in Hanoi, and ethnic minorities in the North.

During the American war, artist Le Nang Hien went on many field trips to the battlefields and did sketches of people and life in the North with artist Nguyen Tien Chung. After the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, in addition to silk, pastel, and lacquer paintings with familiar topics, Nang Hien delved into works on Vietnamese historical themes, including "The Battle of Chi Lang by Le Loi King", "The Battle of Nhu Nguyet by Ly Thuong Kiet General", "The Battle of Bach Dang by army and people in Tran Dynasty".

Le Nang Hien's most renowned works center on women and history. After years of experimenting with silk, the young women in the artist’s work usually have a graceful, pure, and dreamy appearance with lotus, chrysanthemums, and flowers. Youthful energy is filled with gentle silk dresses. The women are elegant and dignified, possessing the beauty and elegance of Trang An. Born in a traditional Confucian family and influenced by Western style, his paintings combine traits of European classical paintings and Vietnamese folk art.

With a passion for writing and drama, Nang Hien was also a writer, actor, and director of a troupe he established in Hung Yen in 1946 when the resistance began. The team performed in many rural areas of Hung Yen with some notable plays, notably “Binh dan hoc vu,” “Quyet tu cho To Quoc quyet sinh” (Determined to die for the birth of the country). He had to borrow tens of thousands of Vietnam Dong to set up the troupe and satisfy his passion for acting. He also wrote and was in charge of the illustrations of a novel named “Lam Son Cavalry" about one of the talented generals of Le Loi King, printed and published by Kim Dong Publisher.

Le Nang Hien used the name "Zuy Nhat" until 1960, when his best friend, artist Bui Xuan Phai, advised him to return to his original name. In the same year, Le Nang Hien and nine other artists, including Tran Tan Loc, Tran Tan Dau, Thai Quang Trai, Pham Ngo, Tran Mai, and Nguyen Dinh Huong, among many others, established Art Cooperatives in Hanoi. Le Nang Hien was one of the few independent artists who could make ends meet by selling his artwork. Throughout his lifetime, Le Nang Hien created a considerable amount of work, and some of it was auctioned by Sotheby’s at a comparable price to the equivalence of artists Le Pho and Mai Trung Thu.