I have known Dao Quang Minh since 1986. From the first time we met, I had a special feeling: Minh was intelligent, gentle, humorous and sharp. We got along easily because we were both “soldiers”. Minh enlisted in February 1965, in the artillery reconnaissance unit E208F351 of the Artillery Command of the Vietnam People’s Army.
In June 1967, he fought with his unit, burning down an American warship on the coast of Quang Cu - Sam Son - Thanh Hoa. On November 13, 1967, Dao Quang Minh joined the Party, and to date he has been a Party member for 57 years. After that, he went to "B", fighting in the Southern battlefield, in La Dut, A Luoi, A Sau (Quang Da) - a place that American soldiers often called "the meat grinder of American soldiers of the Viet Cong".
In February 1970, Dao Quang Minh was injured and transferred to the North, changing his career to work at the "Thong Nhat" Passenger Car Company - Hanoi.
The path to the Art of Photography for Dao Quang Minh was also very simple: If I only worked at the "Thong Nhat" passenger transport company until retirement, it would be a waste of time, while my passion for painting and photography has existed since I was a child, but that dream did not have the conditions to take flight.
In January 1978, the Hanoi Federation of Trade Unions announced the opening of a photography class. Minh applied right away. After finishing the course, he passed with an Excellent grade, started taking pictures, and applied what he had learned.
In November 1981, the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists coordinated with the Hanoi Federation of Trade Unions to open a photography camp. Dao Quang Minh signed up to attend. With his natural gift for aesthetic perception, Minh absorbed the quintessence of respected teachers such as Vo An Ninh, Dinh Dang Dinh, Do Huan, Do Quoc An... At the end of the camp, an exhibition of the first works of the "Future Photographers" was held. Looking at Dao Quang Minh's photos, the teachers all had the same comment: "Dao Quang Minh's photos have the tendency and prospect to become an artist creating artistic photography rather than a press photojournalist."
A year later, while taking photos and gaining experience, Minh had works that attracted attention from viewers such as "Morning Mist on Hoan Kiem Lake" (1982) as smooth as a silk painting; "West Lake Sunset" (1983) and "Summer Afternoon" (1983) as beautiful as a lacquer painting.
In December 1986, Dao Quang Minh was accepted as a photojournalist for the Literature and Arts Weekly “Nguoi Ha Noi” and worked directly at the Hanoi Art Photography Association. This was a favorable opportunity for the door of the soul to open on the path of artistic photography activities. With black and white film using a dark orange filter, he succeeded in the photo “Ben nuoc Chuong Duong” which was shimmering like silver. At first, Dao Quang Minh often focused his lens on topics and landmarks such as: To Lich River, West Lake, Hoan Kiem Lake, Truc Bach Lake, Red River, Hanoi Old Quarter, Market, Port, Rice fields in the suburbs, Thay Pagoda, Tram Gian Pagoda, Tay Phuong Pagoda, and Hoa Lu Ancient Capital (Ninh Binh)... at that time, he was assigned to be in charge of the Director of the Photography Club of the Hanoi Literature and Arts Association.
At the end of 1992, writer, playwright, and People's Artist Cao Mat fell seriously ill. I took Dao Quang Minh to visit him and invited him to look at his photos. He really liked the photo: "Ho Guom" (black and white photo) by Dao Quang Minh with the foreground of a bare winter barringtonia tree. Lying on his hospital bed, he smiled contentedly: "The foreground is very suggestive, like a dragon flying up! Can I give the photo four words: "Thien tai Long phi" (meaning Thang Long Dragon flies)?". Dao Quang Minh and I exclaimed together: Wonderful! What a priceless spontaneous inspiration.
Although he was quite tired and in pain (because the cancer was in its final stages), he tried to get up and used a black marker to write four words: “Thien tai long phi” on the photo. The photo “Thien tai long phi” was later selected as one of 10 black and white works of Vietnam to participate in the International Photography Congress FIAP-1993. The ten works of Vietnam that year won the Bronze Medal. For the first time, Vietnamese photography made its mark on the international arena when it joined the International Art Photography Organization FIAP.
While taking pictures, he gained experience and had the opportunity to deeply research black and white and color photos. It can be said that Dao Quang Minh is a photographer who is willing to explore and find out both its strengths and limitations in any field. He is proficient and self-contained in all stages: taking pictures, printing, developing films, printing and enlarging photos, manually editing photos and today on the path to approaching photoshop techniques.
There is a “talented artist” due to the economic needs and the motto: “Take the short to feed the long” in art, that is in 1994, Dao Quang Minh started painting and had a silk painting workshop at home. Dao Quang Minh’s silk paintings and silk wall calendars sell very well in the tourist market, to domestic customers, overseas Vietnamese and foreign customers.
In Artistic Photography, he has also been consistently successful with outstanding award-winning works from the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists such as: “Sapa Legend” (1996); “Peace Message” (2000); “Cua Ong Coal in the Renovation Period” (2005); “Side by Side” - Bronze Medal in the Exhibition “50 Years of the Establishment of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists” and many other photos participating in exhibitions and awards domestically and internationally.
In 1998, Dao Quang Minh tried again, delving into the field of oil painting and just two years later, Dao Quang Minh opened a rather impressive oil painting gallery in his home. Painting to sell, with the motto of "taking short-term to sustain long-term" in art and he did it.
The path to success in art has been affirmed:
+ November 15, 1999 was awarded the title A. Vapa (artist with many works)
+ December 27, 2001 was awarded the title E. Vapa (artist with many outstanding works)
+ April 14, 2000 awarded the title A.FIAP (international photographic artist)
+ August 14, 2002 was awarded the title E.FIAP (international photography artist with outstanding works).
+ January 25, 2008 was awarded the title E.Vapa/G (artist with outstanding works of Vietnam)
Dao Quang Minh took regular and good photos, quickly achieved high artistic results but remained modest and thanks to his communication skills, he was elected by the members to the Executive Committee, then Vice President of the Association, President of the Art Council of the Hanoi Art Photography Association.
When the President of the Hanoi Art Photography Association Dang Dinh An passed away, he succeeded Dang Dinh An as Acting President of the Association.
Artist Dao Quang Minh is also a multi-talented artist, gifted with natural talents: good at taking photos, beautiful paintings. Dao Quang Minh is also a musician, a member of the Hanoi Music Association with dozens of musical works rich in lyricism. Some of his musical works have been introduced on the Central and Hanoi Television.
Entering the crowded hall, Dao Quang Minh, who is also a singer and a magician, made the hall silent to watch. When the results were obvious, no one knew how he did it, the whole hall applauded like thunder. Dao Quang Minh also had the ability to guess the names of strangers, their parents, their lover's name, whether they were beautiful or ugly. Even the veteran historian Le Van Lan was surprised when Dao Quang Minh said exactly what he was thinking. He acknowledged with his eyes and a firm handshake as if to say: Dao Quang Minh is really good: Thank you, thank you!
Dao Quang Minh is very fond of. He was born in the year of the Pig – 1947.
On December 15, 2024 (ie November 15, Giap Thin year), at the age of 77, he will no longer exist in this world. He took his talent and career to the fairyland, leaving behind endless memories and sorrow for his family, wife, children, relatives, members of the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists and photography lovers across the country.
Golden
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