With more than 30 photos of painter Le Minh Chau, the photo project entitled Chau’s Story (by photographer Tran Viet Van) has won many international awards and still continues its world journey.
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| Le Minh Chau, an artist and a victim of Agent Orange, is the main character of the photo project named Chau’s Story |
Chau\'s Story Project has been carried out by photographer Tran Viet Van since the end of April 2019 and has yet to stop. With over 30 impressive photos about the life and energy of the painter Le Minh Chau – an Agent Orange victim, this photo project has won awards from Japan, England and Spain, the USA, and been exhibited in Bengal (India) and published on Getinspired (Netherlands) etc.
Currently the photos are being exhibited online on the website of The Fleeting Moment magazine (India), which is rated as \"powerful and influential\", and will be published on this magazine.
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| The project aims to honor and praise the energy of its character. |
Here is the interview of Thanhnien Online with photographer Tran Viet Van about the project:
* With many influential photos, the main character in the project must has inspired you a lot?
- Photographer Tran Viet Van: Yes, this portrait photo project inspires me the most, more than other projects that I have done. I finished this project in 2019 after many trips to Ho Chi Minh City and Binh Thuan. I have been to a number of children\'s villages to take pictures, and I have taken pictures of several victims of Agent Orange. But Chau is a special person. He has long wished to be an artist, since his time in Hoa Binh Village (Ho Chi Minh City). Despite being disbelieved and sometimes ridiculed, he does not give up his dream. His body is thin, his small, weak hands can’t hold something for long, and his legs could not stretch. Chau\'s knees are full of bruises and covered with wounds because he did not want to travel on a wheelchair for a long time for fear of pitiful gazes.
But right from the first sight, his shining smile on his bright face and his intelligent talking eyes impressed me deeply.
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| Despite his disability, Chau’s still persistent with drawing and he’s doing an artistic course in the US |
* It must have been not easy for you to take pictures of this special character. So, what are the challenges?
- Photographing Chau is both easy and difficult. It is easy because as a painter, he sympathizes with the spontaneity and is willing to satisfy the photographer\'s requirements in many shots. In addition, Chau’s sensitivity with the beauty also gave my some useful advice. It is difficult because I don’t want to follow the old path when photographing Agent Orange victim, which exploits the sorrow to take the viewers\' tears. Instead, I just want to honor and praise the character\'s vitality and energy. Chau has inspired many people, not just the young.
I have talked and lived with Chau many times. It was the time staying late with him that I had impressive portraits of him while he was chatting online with his girlfriend or when looking up with a crane tattoo on his chest. The crane is a symbol of the integrity and nobility of the gentleman.
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During my volunteer trip with Chau in Binh Thuan, I shared a room with Chau. And the photo taken from a moderately high angle showed a thorny and fierce Chau from behind. The words \"Chau beyond the lines\" that he tattooed on the back of his neck is the name of the film directed by Courtney Marsh (USA), which was nominated for Oscar Award some years ago. Perhaps it is difficult to think of a better title than that.
Thanks to the time staying with Chau, I had real life photos of him when he was brushing his teeth, washing his face, having breakfast, and even when he was having a bath.
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| Chau has inspired many people, not just the young |
I took a lot of photos of Chau, all of which are in color, but then I decided to turn them black and white, because the abstraction and expression of the simple tones are much more impressive.Whatever he does, Chau has to double or triple the effort, but he never gives up.
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| Whatever he does, Chau has to double or triple his effort, but he never gives up |
*What is your implication with this project?
I was inspired a lot by Chau and I have visited him many times in Ho Chi Minh City, took pictures of him and I want to take this project further after Chau returns to Vietnam, completing his art study in America. Through this project, I have learned a lesson that: When taking a portrait photo, we should never stand taller than the character, but be friends with them because our work is no way as important as the character. In addition, through the album, I want to convey his vitality, strong will and passion for work.
* Thank you for sharing the stories of Chau. We look forwards to your new projects.
