Photographer and calligrapher Dang Van is always persistent and dedicated to spreading the beauty and value of Vietnamese calligraphy.
From someone who, driven by passion, packed their bags and went in search of a master to learn from...
In the literary and artistic life of Thanh Hoa province, the name Dang Van always evokes the image of a multi-talented artist with abundant creative energy. Having achieved much success in photography and documentary filmmaking, he was not afraid to learn and challenge himself in new endeavors, gradually venturing into the fields of calligraphy and literature.
Speaking about how he came to the art of calligraphy, Mr. Dang Van still feels like it all happened just yesterday. It was around 2016, during a trip to Bai Dinh Pagoda (Ninh Binh), when he encountered a calligrapher from Hoi An Ancient Town (Da Nang City) writing for tourists. The image of the calligrapher engrossed in his work, each stroke graceful and fluid on the red paper, captivated him, causing him to stop and observe for a long time.
He recalled, "I've always loved exploring and especially appreciate traditional cultural values. When I saw the calligrapher writing, I was immediately captivated. The soft, flowing brushstrokes filled me with admiration and curiosity." That chance encounter sparked his special interest in the art of calligraphy.
His passion and enthusiasm for calligraphy motivated him every day. Besides dedicating time to learning about this art form, Mr. Dang Van was determined to travel hundreds of kilometers to meet a calligrapher in Hoi An to "learn from the master."
Upon hearing Mr. Van's story and his purpose of "seeking a master," the calligrapher hesitated for a long time before refusing to accept him. Reflecting on the passion, enthusiasm, and hope he had carried throughout his journey from Thanh Hoa to Hoi An without success, Mr. Van thought: Perhaps I am not yet destined to be involved with calligraphy.
However, the unexpected good news lifted Mr. Van's spirits. Touched by Mr. Van's sincerity, dedication, and eagerness to learn, the calligrapher in Hoi An agreed to accept him as a student and teach him the art of calligraphy.
In the life of the calligrapher in Hoi An's ancient town, Mr. Dang Van was also a special student, leaving many lasting impressions. Due to limited time and resources to stay in Hoi An for long, the two only exchanged basic, introductory knowledge of calligraphy, such as how to hold the brush, how to move the brush, and how to write the 24 letters of the Vietnamese alphabet. All of this was "condensed" into just over a day of enthusiastic teaching and learning.
"With perseverance, even iron can be sharpened into a needle."
Since returning from his trip to Hoi An, Mr. Dang Van has been diligently practicing calligraphy every day. During that period of intense practice, he lost count of how much paper, pens, and ink he had used. Having bought so much, he resorted to asking friends and relatives for scraps of paper, including those with printing errors or defects, to "reuse." After a month, Mr. Van anxiously wrote and sent his calligraphy to a calligrapher in Hoi An for feedback and evaluation. "The master was a little surprised and praised my remarkable progress in such a short time. That was a huge motivation for me to continue striving and persevering on this journey," Mr. Van expressed.
During his calligraphy training, in addition to the basic knowledge taught by his teacher, Mr. Van proactively sought to improve his understanding and skills, honing his writing techniques, thereby creating and elevating his style. Dang Van's calligraphy is both soft and graceful without being overly ornate or ostentatious, yet playful and expressive, possessing both strength and flexibility.
Mr. Dang Van particularly loves and pursues the technique of "scratch strokes" (phi bach) in calligraphy. Mr. Dang Van explains: "Scratch strokes in calligraphy is a technique using a brush with very little ink and high speed, creating scratches that clearly reveal the paper/fabric texture without breaking, expressing freedom, strength, and speed. This is an advanced technique, combining calligraphy and painting, creating a sense of momentum, transformation, and depth in the characters." This is what creates the unique style and signature of Dang Van's calligraphy.
Mr. Dang Van came to calligraphy by chance, but his success today is due to his diligence, serious self-cultivation, keen awareness of current trends, and inherent talent. In particular, with his ability to paint and apply technology and digital techniques, Mr. Dang Van has contributed to elevating and spreading the value of calligraphy in modern life. Many of his calligraphy works have been exhibited at large-scale festivals and cultural events, receiving high praise from experts and popularity among the public.
Representatives from the Thanh Hoa Calligraphy Club presented calligraphy to young people attending the 24th Vietnam Poetry Day in Thanh Hoa.
How will these digital and technological applications be applied? Will these "interventions" and applications affect or diminish the beauty of traditional calligraphy? Mr. Dang Van happily replied: "We don't depend on digital and technological applications to create rigid, soulless characters. The characters are still the handwriting of the calligrapher, still bearing the distinct mark and nuances of the person holding the pen. But digital and technological applications will allow us to present a more visually appealing calligraphy piece, creating a backdrop for the characters with landscape paintings or beautiful photographs of famous landmarks... Calligraphy and painting go hand in hand, thereby conveying the message in a more vivid and attractive way."
Connecting communities through passion, spreading values through talent and dedication.
Originally an outsider to the art of calligraphy, Mr. Dang Van, driven by his passion, decided to become a calligrapher and has since taught many students, some of whom have gone on to become calligraphers themselves. Trusted and respected, he has served for many years as the chairman of the Thanh Hoa Calligraphy Club, which has 18 members, many of whom are elderly but remain active and passionate about the art.
With a passion for preserving traditional cultural values, the club members regularly organize and participate in cultural events, calligraphy demonstrations/talks, and calligraphy workshops at historical sites in Thanh Hoa province during the Lunar New Year; they also organize classes to teach Vietnamese calligraphy to those who are passionate about it. In particular, the club actively connects and expands calligraphy exchanges, thereby spreading and leaving a mark of Thanh Hoa calligraphy throughout the country. After much effort, in August 2025, participating in the Conference of Vietnamese Calligraphers in Nghe An, 11 members of the Thanh Hoa Calligraphy Club were admitted to the Vietnam Calligraphy Center, organized and founded by the Institute for Cultural Research and Preservation.
Mentioning the calligrapher evokes images of an old man sitting quietly beside pages of "sadly faded red paper," "ink lingering in the sorrowful inkwell." One might think that the poem "The Calligrapher" by poet Vu Dinh Lien foreshadowed the future decline of calligraphy. However, perhaps when we look at the images of calligraphers' shops prominently located, where calligraphers busily showcase the beauty of their craft before long queues of people requesting or receiving calligraphy at historical sites during festivals and the Lunar New Year, we can all clearly feel the powerful resurgence of this art form.
Calligraphy is not just about the beauty of the form of the characters, but also about the content, the educational message, the philosophy of life, and the layers of culture that have been preserved. Therefore, "each calligrapher, when coming to calligraphy, must not only practice to perfect their hand and master the technique, but also cultivate their knowledge, life experience, and refine their character. As long as each artist knows how to preserve their heart, cultivate their talent, diligently learn, change, and adapt to the times, the art of calligraphy will continue to thrive in the flow of Vietnamese culture," calligrapher Dang Van sincerely shared.
Text and photos: Nguyen Linh
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/chuyen-ve-ong-do-trong-thoi-dai-so-281640.htm
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