The village chief loves painting.

Depicting the beauty of the homeland

Born and raised in a poor rural area, Cao Thanh Nam developed a love for painting from a young age. In middle school, in addition to his regular classes, Nam would go to his art teacher's house to ask for drawing lessons. From then on, colorful paintings depicting his homeland and its people began to emerge.

As a dynamic young village head, Cao Thanh Nam also has a passion for painting.

In 2009, Nam passed the entrance exam to Quang Binh University, majoring in fine arts. After receiving formal training, his drawings became increasingly refined and vibrant. Upon graduation, he became an art teacher at several schools. However, that passion only lasted for three years before he had to temporarily stop teaching due to the expiration of his teaching contract.

“At that time, I was very sad to have to leave the job I loved. Even sadder was that I hadn't fully conveyed my passion to my students. I hope to work and contribute to the education sector for a long time,” Nam confided.

After a period of working and living elsewhere, in 2015, Nam returned to his hometown to start a family and participate in local community work. In 2022, he was trusted and elected as Deputy Secretary of the Party Branch and Head of Liem Hoa Village. Despite his busy schedule with family and village affairs, his love for art continued to burn brightly within the young village head. The picturesque scenery of his homeland and the images of the simple villagers working and producing inspired him, and he decided to paint them.

Nam's paintings are very simple and express his love for his homeland and country. — As a dynamic young village head, Cao Thanh Nam also has a passion for painting.

His first painting was titled "Hung Trau," after a very beautiful place in Thuong Hoa commune (Minh Hoa district). Nam shared: "When I went to Ruc through Hung Trau during the flood season, the road to the three Ruc ethnic minority villages and the entire forest were submerged. In the twilight, the trees, water, and sky seemed to blend together, making the scenery look like a heavenly paradise. Impressed by that beauty, I took out my tools and painted that very night..."

In his painting "Countryside," Nam captures the idyllic beauty of his village. He recounts: "Once, I was herding buffalo by Yen Phu Lake. This place was once the filming location for the blockbuster movie 'Kong: Skull Island'. In the spring, the grass by the lake grew lush, and the clear blue water reflected the majestic limestone mountains. Then there was the image of a mother buffalo and her calf leisurely grazing... I found that scene incredibly beautiful, and I completed this painting. Afterwards, I exhibited the painting at the 150th anniversary celebration of Minh Hoa district (1875-2025), and someone bought it at a high price."

Over the past two years, Nam has painted more than 30 paintings of varying content and size, all expressing the village chief's love for the beauty of his homeland and country.

A landscape painting of his hometown, recently completed by village head Cao Thanh Nam.

Nam confided: “Each painting is the voice of my heart towards the scenery and people around me. Even thoughts and concerns that cannot be expressed in words can be conveyed through painting. To achieve this, the painter needs genuine emotion; it cannot be forced. Without emotion, the painting will be soulless and have no artistic value.”

Besides painting, Nam also accepts commissions for decorative artwork at cafes, schools, and advertisements. His art teacher, Cao Thanh Nhac, at Thuong Hoa Primary School, who guided him through his first brushstrokes, commented: “Nam’s paintings express simplicity and modesty, yet contain a deep love for his homeland. The paintings also demonstrate unique creative ideas and thinking, with harmonious color combinations, giving them soul and vibrancy…”

Passionate about work

Liem Hoa village has 417 households and 1,660 inhabitants. With a large population and vast terrain, the lives of the people in the area are still fraught with difficulties. As the village head, Mr. Nam has actively propagated and mobilized the villagers to develop the economy and culture, work together to build a new rural area, and correctly implement the Party's guidelines and policies, as well as the laws of the State.

Thanks to the宣传 and persuasion efforts of Mr. Cao Thành Nam, many households in Liêm Hóa have become wealthy from pig farming.

To date, the entire village has over 100 hectares of agricultural land. Taking advantage of this, Mr. Nam has encouraged villagers to plant corn, peanuts, beans, cassava, etc., combining them with the use of new, high-yield varieties to ensure food security and increase income. Regarding livestock, the village has over 1,000 head of cattle, more than 1,400 poultry, and 41 bee colonies for honey production…

Mr. Cao Xuan Vinh from Liem Hoa village said: “The village head is enthusiastic and responsible towards the villagers. He visits, encourages, and helps anyone who is in difficulty. In addition, Mr. Nam is also dedicated to mobilizing and providing materials for households to develop livestock and crop farming models. Thanks to that, the family economy in the village has improved significantly.”

Activities such as afforestation, forest protection, development of small-scale industries, trade, services, environmental sanitation, and socio-cultural development in Liem Hoa village have also achieved many positive results. In 2024, the villagers joined hands with the local Party committee, government, and mass organizations to demolish temporary houses for 4 households with particularly difficult circumstances. The number of poor and near-poor households in the area has decreased significantly year by year. Currently, Liem Hoa village only has 21 poor households, accounting for 5.29%, and 6 near-poor households…

Chairman of Trung Hoa Commune People's Committee Cao Xuan Duong: “Village head Cao Thanh Nam always puts his words into action, especially when mobilizing villagers to implement the policy of restructuring crop and livestock production. Not only is he dynamic and enthusiastic in village affairs, but Mr. Nam is also very passionate about painting. His paintings help preserve and promote the beautiful image of his homeland, as well as being displayed and exhibited at important local festivals and events…”

Xuan Vuong

Source: https://baoquangbinh.vn/xa-hoi/202503/nguoi-truong-thon-me-ve-tranh-2225094/