From a young age, Nguyen Manh Tien showed his talent and love for painting. His first drawings were simply drawings of what he saw and felt, such as streets, relatives, animals... It was this innocent love that sowed the seeds for his important decision when he entered adulthood, to study graphic design at the University of Industrial Fine Arts.

He shared: “The more I draw, the more I realize that I really love colors and lines. I chose the graphic design industry because I found it suitable for me, and also because at that time the country was entering a period of industrialization and modernization, the need for form and design was increasingly emphasized.”

Artist Nguyen Manh Tien received second prize in the Vietnam Press Cartoon Award - Bamboo Dragon Cup V - 2018. Photo provided by the character

The years of studying at university opened up a new creative way of thinking for artist Manh Tien. He loved book and newspaper design, a field where printing techniques at that time were still limited. But from that lack, he completed his graduation project on brand identity for the Hanoi Paint Factory, including two posters introducing products, labels and logos. The set of works was evaluated as excellent, not only because of its aesthetics but also because of its high applicability. This was also the time when he seriously realized that art must go hand in hand with application, serving life.

In 2008, artist Manh Tien worked at the People's Army Newspaper. With many years of experience in computer design, he has applied computer graphics technology to newspaper layouts at the agency and has been in charge of many special issues, from Tet newspapers to commemorative publications. To date, he has won the "Impressive Tet Cover" award four times at the National Press Festival organized by the Vietnam Journalists Association (1 A prize in 2021; 2 B prizes in 2019, 2023; 1 C prize in 2024). Artist Manh Tien is also interested in caricature, a genre that was once brilliant during the war but has since faded away. In the Vietnam Press Caricature Contest - Dragon Bamboo Cup V-2018 organized by the Sports and Culture Newspaper (Vietnam News Agency), he won second prize with the work "When private life also becomes... fast food". For him, ideas do not come immediately but must mature through experience, through observing life, through pondering over worldly habits.

Continuing to challenge himself, he participated in many major competitions and left his mark throughout his creative journey. In the year of APEC Vietnam 2017, artist Manh Tien's work won second prize, drawing a conical hat, a symbol of Vietnamese culture, and the national flags of various countries as soft silk ribbons surrounding the hat, expressing the spirit of solidarity. In 2022, at the Logo Drawing Contest to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Vietnam-Korea diplomatic relations, he won first prize with his work in the shape of the number 30 created from the national flags of the two countries. In 2024, at the Logo Design Contest for the Association for Supporting Families of Vietnamese Martyrs, he created the image of two hands supporting peace , embracing the national flag in the form of an eternal flame. The work won first prize, both recalling sacrifice and expressing the indomitable, strong spirit of the nation.

Painter Le Tien Vuong, Head of the Graphic Arts Association II, Vietnam Fine Arts Association, said: “Nguyen Manh Tien is not only a painter, he also demonstrates the responsibility of a soldier journalist. Therefore, Mr. Tien's drawings are mature, seasoned and mature. Combining the above factors, Nguyen Manh Tien often draws accurately and hits the heart of the idea.”

    Source: https://www.qdnd.vn/van-hoa/doi-song/doi-tay-tai-hoa-va-khat-vong-cong-hien-867239