08:49, 11/19/2023
The late photographer Canh Duong was the first person to have a solo photo exhibition in Dak Lak , and he was also the first artist in the province to be admitted to the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists.
Photographer attached to the Central Highlands
Canh Duong's real name is Hoang Canh Duong, born on October 14, 1952 in Dong Luong commune, Cam Khe district ( Phu Tho ). He suffered from liver cancer and died in 2007. His youth, like millions of Vietnamese youth, followed the call of the Party and Uncle Ho to volunteer to go to the South to fight. After the country was liberated, he stayed in the Central Highlands, working at the Dak Lak Department of Culture.
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| Portrait of teacher Canh Duong taken by student Vu Duy Thuong. |
Loving photography, he tinkered with the agency's old camera to use as a working tool. His first photo, titled "Reaching Out", immediately attracted the attention of the photography community at that time. Canh Duong took a photo of a gourd clinging to a barbed wire fence at L.19 airport - a remnant of the American puppet regime left after liberation. The photo shows the aspiration and will to rise of plants and trees, which is also the will and aspiration of the peace- loving Vietnamese people determined to rise after the devastation caused by war.
Loving the Central Highlands, the characters in Canh Duong's works are the land and people of the Central Highlands. He focuses deeply on the people, with famous works such as "The echo of the Central Highlands", "The mother holding a gun", "The soul of the Central Highlands"... expressing the typical cultural identity of the region. As in the work "The village elder carrying a jar of wine", the main character is like a relief with sophisticated shapes and carvings. There, the lines and light seem to be condensed. All the colors of time in the work are concentrated in the jar of wine, the eyes, the skin color, the veined hands, the calluses and hardships on the knees of the old man... Or in the photo "The echo of the Central Highlands", the image of the artisan beating a large gong in the space of the mountains and forests makes the viewer feel like he can hear the echo of the majestic forest reverberating in his mind. Along with the work "Reaching out", the works "The echo of the Central Highlands", "The mother holding a gun" by artist Canh Duong were exhibited in La Habana (Cuba).
The artist teacher
Photographer Canh Duong is also an exemplary teacher of many students who have now become famous, such as Minh Tam, Vo Thu Hien, Duy Phung. Outstanding among them is photographer Vu Duy Thuong - considered a successor and has achieved many successes in the field of artistic photography. "Some people say Vu Duy Thuong is a copy of teacher Canh Duong. It is true that I was influenced by him a lot and I am his student, if I am not like him, then who am I like...", Vu Duy Thuong shared.
“Artistic photography must have three elements: truth, goodness, and beauty. Truth is real. Goodness is what guides people to do good, beautiful, and peaceful things, and stay away from bad things. Beauty is what is most beautiful…”. Late photographer Canh Duong |
While studying in grade 10, Vu Duy Thuong accidentally met teacher Canh Duong taking photos at Viet Duc Coffee Factory. He recalled: “Seeing me eagerly following each angle, the teacher called me over to ask questions and I became his student from that day on. He taught me every little thing, like if you want to have horizontal light under the shade of a tree, you have to turn the character around, when the character's eyes sparkle, you take the photo. Then what is curtain composition? What is background blur? What speed, aperture, and lens to use? When taking a photo of a girl's face to make her nose look higher, you have to use light to shine on half of her face, with a triangle of light on the dark side, covering part of her face. Take a super close-up macro photo, don't need to see the mouth, just take the eyes, to know if the person is sad or happy. After many years of practice and contemplation in reality, I am extremely impressed with the knowledge the teacher has taught us.”
In the memories of many students, Canh Duong still appears as a brave teacher who overcame illness. Once, teacher Canh Duong was contracted by an organization in France to take a photo series about the M'nong people in Lak district. At that time, although he was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he still led a group of 10 students to Lak district to compose. Upon arrival, although very tired, when standing in front of the beautiful roofs of the M'nong people, artist Canh Duong was like an inspiration, making all those who followed him forget all their fatigue and enthusiastically take pictures.
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| The work "Village elder carrying a jar of rice wine" by artist Canh Duong. |
“He taught and inspired me. He not only helped me master the knowledge of photography but also encouraged me to explore and express my creativity through artistic photography. Thanks to him, I learned to see the world around me differently and found my passion for artistic photography. I still remember when I was seriously ill and my health was deteriorating, he still tried to stay up all night to teach me about directions, light, lines... with the gentlest and easiest words to understand. From a service photographer, I was honored to be admitted to the Vietnam Association of Photographic Artists. I will always remember and be grateful to him…”, Vu Duy Thuong confided.
King Zhang Yi
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