Meet Tay Ninh Newspaper contributor Vo Dong Minh

Recently, many people know artist Vo Dong Minh for his work of painting 79 portraits of beloved President Ho Chi Minh, but few people know that he is a veteran contributor to Tay Ninh Newspaper.

Passion for painting

Meeting him on the occasion of the whole country looking forward to the 100th anniversary of Vietnam Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925 - June 21, 2025), artist Vo Dong Minh (residing in Tan Bien district) could not hide his joy when seeing Tay Ninh press in particular, and the country's revolutionary press in general, increasingly developing towards modernization. Journalists apply many scientific achievements to their profession, helping information and images become more beautiful, more vivid and spread to the public faster and faster on many information channels.

This artist also could not hide his pride for having made many contributions to the propaganda work of revolutionary activities on the ideological and cultural front as a painter, collaborating in drawing for newspapers, including Tay Ninh Newspaper.

Artist Vo Dong Minh talks about the joy of collaborating with the press.

His real name is Nguyen Van Lam, born in 1942, from Long An province. In 1950, he followed his parents to Tay Ninh to live. With a passion for painting since childhood, when he arrived in the new land, he sought out a painter in Hoa Thanh district to learn painting.

Growing up, he entered the Saigon College of Fine Arts to improve his painting skills. At that time, the resistance war against the US to save the country was taking place strongly throughout the South. Like many other patriotic young people, student Nguyen Van Lam put down his pen and ink to join the revolutionary movement. With the pen as his weapon, he followed the revolutionary soldiers, rushing everywhere on the battlefield.

Although he is old, painter Vo Dong Minh still reads the newspaper every day to keep up with current events at home and abroad.

He painted many themes of resistance, such as soldiers rowing boats across the river to fight the enemy. Using the black and white painting method, the image of two revolutionary soldiers carrying guns on their shoulders, covered with branches and leaves as camouflage, rowing boats across the river at night. Under the bright moonlight in the middle of the night, the image of the resistance full of hardship and danger, contrasted with the shimmering water surface, became a very beautiful and poetic painting.

In another painting, he depicts hundreds of revolutionary soldiers enthusiastically fighting under the flag of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam.

One of the cartoons by artist Vo Dong Minh.

In addition to paintings about the resistance war against the US to save the country, this artist also drew thousands of caricatures such as President Ngo Dinh Diem was a lackey; the US imperialists used force to divide Vietnam into two regions, the South and the North; the French colonialists failed at Dien Bien Phu; the US imperialists sent troops to the Vietnam battlefield... His paintings were very vivid, exuding the strong resistance atmosphere of our army and people, on the other hand, exposing the invasive nature of the enemy and its lackeys who sold out the country.

83 years old still passionate about painting

After the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country on April 30, 1975, artist Vo Dong Minh held the position of Head of the Department of Culture and Information of Tan Bien district. After that, he transferred to work at Tay Ninh Museum and became Deputy Chief of the Office of Tan Bien District Party Committee.

During this time, he continued to use his painting talent to criticize social evils such as illegal racing; corruption between state-owned enterprises and dishonest traders; unplanned births, leading to poverty and unhappiness...

Painting of soldiers rowing boats across the river to fight the enemy.

While other reporters convey information on newspapers and radio through writing, images, and films, for decades, artist Vo Dong Minh has quietly collaborated with the press through paintings.

Many of his works have been published in Tay Ninh Newspaper and several other newspapers such as Quan Doi Newspaper, Thanh Nien, Tuoi Tre Cuoi... under the pen names Vo Dong Minh, Nguyen Dong Minh. His paintings won awards at the national propaganda and caricature drawing contest in 1996.

Painting of revolutionary soldiers in battle.

For example, in 2003, on the first day the US Air Force attacked Iraq, opening the "Third Gulf War", Tay Ninh Newspaper published a cartoon of a US Air Force plane with a stylized long nose of the US President, dropping bombs on the people of the Gulf. A simple cartoon, but conveying very complete and impressive information to readers.

Talking about drawing propaganda paintings and collaborating with the press, artist Vo Dong Minh confided that during the resistance war against the US to save the country, most revolutionary activities took place secretly, the means and machinery related to journalism were very limited, not all journalists were fully equipped with cameras and video cameras like today. Therefore, using the art of painting to reflect the war situation was one of the convenient forms at that time. "With simple tools and materials such as paper and pencil, we can draw the content that needs to be conveyed," the artist said.

Painter Vo Dong Minh was awarded many medals, awards and commemorative medals.

According to Mr. Vo Dong Minh, after the liberation of the South and the reunification of the country, although journalists have been fully equipped with the necessary means and machinery for journalism, cartoons are still the strength of artists. Currently, despite his advanced age, this artist in Tan Bien district still reads newspapers and watches TV every day to keep up with current events at home and abroad and draws cartoons to collaborate with the press.

To have good health, for decades, he has been determined to give up alcohol, beer, and cigarettes; every morning, he regularly walks from home to the Suoi Can Dang embankment park and returns home, a distance of about 3km, to maintain his health.

Some certificates of merit, medals, and commemorative medals of painter Vo Dong Minh.

For his contributions to literature and art, painter Vo Dong Minh was awarded the Second Class Resistance Medal and the First Class Victory Medal by the State Council; the Prime Minister awarded the Commemorative Medal for Revolutionary Soldiers Captured and Imprisoned by the Enemy; the Vietnam Fine Arts Association awarded the Medal for the Cause of Vietnamese Fine Arts; the Chairman of Tay Ninh Provincial People's Committee awarded a Certificate of Merit, and won the first Xuan Hong Literature and Art Award.

Ocean

Source: https://baotayninh.vn/gap-go-cong-tac-vien-bao-tay-ninh-vo-dong-minh-a191411.html