'The key is in your hand'

QTO - “The Key in Your Hand” is the theme of the 2025 art exhibition by painter Dang Dai Tho (42 years old), from Vinh Linh commune, Quang Tri province. This is also the first solo art exhibition of Dak Nong province (formerly) after 20 years of establishment, organized by the Dak Nong Provincial Association of Literature and Arts (now the Lam Dong Provincial Association of Literature and Arts). The creative journey and artworks of painter Dang Dai Tho contribute to inspiring stories of relentless effort in pursuing passion to reap the rewards...

Transform your passion into motivation to strive for success.

To date, artist Dang Dai Tho has been away from his hometown for nearly 20 years. Sharing his journey into painting, he recounts that he comes from a rural area of ​​Quang Tri province, a poor region, in a farming family where no one pursued art. He realized his love for art early on, even in elementary school, and his passion for painting grew steadily.

“During that period, in rural areas, pursuing careers related to art wasn't a popular choice among many of my peers. But after graduating from high school, I still decided to study Music and Art at Quang Tri Teacher Training College, and then the Faculty of Arts at Hanoi University of Education," shared artist Dang Dai Tho.

Some works by artist Dang Dai Tho - Photo: Provided by the artist

During a field trip to Lam Dong province, impressed by the natural beauty and culture of the region, Dang Dai Tho chose to settle and work there. From 2009 to 2015, he was an art teacher at Dak Nang Secondary School. In 2015, he was admitted to the Dak Nong Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, where he was responsible for designing, presenting, and illustrating for the Nam Nung Magazine. In 2023, he became a member of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association. Dang Dai Tho is considered one of the promising young artists. As of June 2025, the entire former Dak Nong province had only 10 members of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association.

Since May 2025, artist Dang Dai Tho has been in charge of designing, layout, and illustrating for the Lam Dong Arts and Literature Magazine. He is currently the Vice Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial Fine Arts Association and a member of the Executive Committee of the Lam Dong Provincial Association of Literature and Arts.

For artist Dang Dai Tho, achieving the success he has today is not only due to passion but also to his courageous choices, dedication, and tireless efforts. “I think everyone has different strengths and passions. But no matter your starting point or circumstances, you need to strive to turn that passion into motivation. The ‘key’ to unlocking your own path lies in your own hands.”

Impressive achievements

For nearly 20 years, artist Dang Dai Tho has been a constant source of exploration, research, and creativity. He has created and designed hundreds of artworks and magazine publications. His fine art works utilize diverse materials, from oil and acrylic to watercolor, with the main themes vividly reflecting the beauty, life, and culture of rural areas, especially the Central Highlands. The works created by artist Dang Dai Tho consistently attract the attention of collectors and have become cover art for many novels by various writers.

Artist Dang Dai Tho actively participates in and consistently wins numerous awards in competitions for creating and promoting literary and artistic works, as well as in journalism. Some notable awards from 2021 to the present include: Second prize in the competition for creating literary and artistic works on the theme of preventing and controlling the Covid-19 pandemic; second prize in the "Million Green Trees - For a Green Dak Nong" photo contest; first prize in the competition for creating the emblem for the 4th Congress of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union of Dak Nong province; first prize in the competition for designing the emblem of Vinh Hoang commune, Quang Tri province; encouragement award in the fine arts category of the Lam Dong sustainable development literary and artistic creation contest; encouragement award in the fine arts category of the competition for creating and promoting literary and artistic works and journalism on the theme of studying and following the thoughts, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh, phase II, 2023-2025 (for the work "Song on the Hill").

Notably, in 2024, artist Dang Dai Tho had two works, "Origins" and "Village in the City," selected by the Art Council of the Vietnam Fine Arts Association to participate in the 29th Regional Fine Arts Exhibition of Region VII - Southeast Vietnam…

Writer Dang Ba Canh (left), Chairman of the Lam Dong Provincial Association of Literature and Arts, presents flowers to congratulate artist Dang Dai Tho on his exhibition "The Key in the Palm of Your Hand" - Photo: Provided by the artist.

"Song on the Hill" is one of the works that artist Dang Dai Tho has poured the most heart and soul into. Created in watercolor, measuring 85x175cm, the work is inspired by the lives of people from other provinces and cities who have migrated to the Central Highlands to live and work over generations. Despite facing numerous difficulties and challenges, the people have always upheld the spirit of perseverance, diligence, optimism, and especially the spirit of solidarity and mutual support in their lives and economic development.

President Ho Chi Minh's ideology of unwavering will, optimistic spirit, and the strength of "Unity, unity, great unity. Success, success, great success" has always been deeply ingrained in the hearts of the people and has been a source of inspiration and learning. This has contributed to building villages that are filled with national warmth, and are increasingly modernized and flourishing.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Huyen Dieu, Vice President of the Lam Dong Provincial Association of Literature and Arts and Editor-in-Chief of Lam Dong Literature and Arts Magazine, stated: “Together with the contributions of artist Dang Dai Tho, Nam Nung Literature and Arts Magazine was awarded for outstanding achievements in promoting literary and artistic works and journalism on the theme of studying and following the thoughts, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh during the 2021-2023 period; and received an encouragement award for impressive journalistic products at the 2025 National Press Conference. Artist Dang Dai Tho personally received a commendation from the Chairman of the People's Committee of Dak Nong province (formerly) for outstanding achievements in his work from 2021-2022 and many other forms of commendation. Artist Dang Dai Tho also served as the chief judge for many art competitions in the province, contributing to inspiring, encouraging, and promoting art creation activities in the province.”

The award-winning works promoting literature, art, and journalism on the theme of studying and following the ideology, ethics, and style of Ho Chi Minh are a great source of encouragement for artist Dang Dai Tho. He shared: “This is a source of motivation for me to continue striving and creating more new works with themes about President Ho Chi Minh. Notable examples include the painting “I dedicate my life to my nation” in 2024; “He is the unwavering belief in victory” in 2025, along with many propaganda paintings commemorating national holidays.”

Artist Dang Dai Tho always shows his devotion to his homeland through meaningful actions. He has repeatedly used all the proceeds from the sale of his paintings to support COVID-19 prevention and control efforts and disaster relief in Lam Dong and Quang Tri provinces. “I plan to connect with artists in Quang Tri in the near future to hold an art exhibition showcasing the beauty of our culture, land, people, and the changes in our homeland today. Through this, artists will have more opportunities to interact, learn from each other, and collaborate on their artistic journey, while also contributing to promoting the image of our homeland to friends around the world…,” artist Dang Dai Tho shared.

Nguyen Trang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/van-hoa/202605/chia-khoa-trong-long-ban-tay-4bf62a5/