Lynx Nguyen says his artistic career began when he and his family stepped foot on American soil 23 years ago.

Originally from Vietnam, Nguyen said his family fled to the United States in 1993 to escape the communist regime and persecution in the southeast Asian country.

“My father was fighting for democracy,” he said, adding his father was imprisoned from 1975 to 1983.

The family remained in the country for 10 more years under suppression, Nguyen said. But since his father fought for the South Vietnamese army, which supported democracy, freedom and equality, the Nguyens were allowed to move to America.

“The U.S. government allowed us, because my father served in the army. Ever since then, I’ve lived in the United States in Atlanta, Georgia.”

When he started school in America, Nguyen was in the third grade and was always drawing. A teacher recognized his talent at that young age.

“The teacher saw that I was gifted in cursive writing and calligraphy, so she encouraged me in that artistic direction,” he said, adding he signed up for art in middle school and high school. “Before I graduated, my teacher (Mrs. Linda Kerr at Forest Park High School) suggested that I should go to an art school, because she just didn’t want to see my talent go to waste.”

Nguyen obliged. The young man graduated from Georgia State with a degree in studio art in painting. In May 2015, he graduated from Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta with a masters in painting.

Now, Lynx said “(his) quest in life is how to do a more meaningful thing with art.”

He appears to be succeeding. Recently, he submitted his artwork to the Quinlan Members’ Exhibition and won second place in the artistic contest.

The Quinlan Members’ Exhibition is a showcase designed to honor all its members and the work each one creates.

“Every member is eligible to submit one piece, so that’s how it’s selected,” Quinlan Visual Arts Center Executive Director Amanda McClure said. “There’s no reflection process to it. It’s just as simple as that.”

The 31-year-old man was happy and surprised when he learned his piece, “1,440,000 Tally Marks” was awarded second place.

“When I found out that the juror picked one of my pieces, it was just a shocking surprise because my work just looks so different,” he said. “I said to myself that I wouldn’t win anything, but I wanted to participate and leave whatever happens to happen.”

What happened was his inspiration stemming from a love of philosophy and religion turned into an artfully winning design. He said his inspiration comes from “how to have a more meaningful, long-lasting direction, and how can the artwork inspire people to think about how to live a more meaningful life in the future.”

“That’s why I did the tally marks,” he said.  “You make that daily mark and it’s a continuation, and those dots connect to the future.”

Nguyen continues to work on his art while working three jobs.

“When I decided to be an artist, I knew it was going to be a very rough life,” he said. “I’m determined to make it work, so I just have to put in some effort. I always, every single day, want to make sure that (art) is the priority, even when I just have an hour or a few minutes.”

Nguyen’s piece “1,440,000 Tally Marks” is now on display at the Quinlan.