Starting from a childhood picture book
In 1996, after 16 years living in France, artist Dao Van Hoang returned to Vietnam. In addition to his work in advertising, he began his work in nature conservation. In 1999, he created a 200m2 mural at the reception area of Cat Tien National Park, depicting the rich flora and fauna of the area. In 2014, he decided to stop working in advertising to devote himself to wildlife painting. Artist Dao Van Hoang expressed: “I focus on Southeast Asian animals, especially lesser-known species, such as the Owston's civet or the Tonkin snub-nosed monkey... I believe that painting these lesser-known creatures brings more creative flexibility and meaning.”
Artist Dao Van Hoang's conservation art activities have left many marks through exhibitions and collaborative projects around the world . At his first wildlife art exhibition held at the International Primate Society (IPS) Conference in Hanoi in August 2014, a series of 22 paintings of Vietnamese primates were introduced. In 2015, he continued to display paintings of the world's 25 most endangered primates at the American Society of Primates (ASP) Annual Meeting in Bend, Oregon.
For mural and community education projects, he collaborated with Wildlife At Risk (WAR) to design an exhibition area at the wildlife rescue center in Cu Chi (HCMC). WAR has rescued and released nearly 7,000 animals into the wild in a decade of operation... At the Tropical Hospital in Ho Chi Minh City, he collaborated with a project from Oxford University (UK) to paint a mural (14.5m high, 9m wide) with the image of a red-crowned crane at the research center and a large ocean-themed painting connecting clinics for children with HIV.
Sharing the motivation behind his enduring journey of painting and nature conservation, artist Dao Van Hoang started from simple childhood connections. “My memories are associated with trips with my mother to the Saigon Zoo and Botanical Gardens, and right after returning home, I cut and pasted animal images from magazines to create my own photo books,” he said.
Combining science and artistic sense
Artist Dao Van Hoang mainly uses acrylic on canvas or watercolor on paper, his works often express a very unique point of view: the animal world is shown from a level perspective - as if coming from another animal in the forest, rarely from the human eye.
“I have always been fascinated by the skin of all creatures - fur, scales, feathers, living structures shaped by millions of years of evolution. I want to understand how that structure works, how it moves. The more I observe, the more I discover, the more I paint, the more I immerse myself in every detail, every line, every little miracle. Nature is a master artist. I am just following its brushstrokes,” the artist said.
To go on a long journey, telling the story of nature conservation through the language of painting, Dao Van Hoang spends a lot of time studying anatomy, perspective, learning scientific illustrations through books, and of course, indispensable field trips, diving into deep forests or conservation areas. He accompanies scientists, thoroughly researching the anatomy, behavior and specific living environment of each species. "I am not a biologist, but I like to go with them to learn," the artist said. It is the combination of scientific knowledge and delicate artistic sense that helps him not only draw the shape, but also portray the "soul" of each creature.
Each creature is thus depicted with anatomical precision. The curve of a horn, the structure of a fur coat, or the eyes of a primate are all meticulously studied. He doesn’t just paint animals standing still, but also captures characteristic moments of their behavior: a bird preening, an ape swinging from branch to branch, or a leopard hiding in the shadows. It’s these details that bring the works to life, making the viewer feel as if they are actually encountering the creature in its natural environment.
The nature in Dao Van Hoang’s paintings is not a blurry background. Every leaf, branch, and rock is painted with an understanding of the native flora where the animal lives. He understands that an animal cannot exist apart from its environment. Therefore, accurately recreating the habitat is also a way to honor the integrity and fragile connection of the ecosystem.
Dao Van Hoang's artistic perspective is simple but powerful: “I paint not only for art, but also for conservation purposes. I want to bring less-noticed animals closer to the public, so that people can learn about them, love them, and thereby be more aware of protecting them. People often perceive my paintings as realistic. That is not wrong, but it is also not like scientific illustrations that require absolute accuracy. I simply share images, but if someone sees, feels, and falls in love - who knows, they might also fall in love with the creature depicted in the painting. And when we love something, we want to preserve it.”
Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/hoa-si-dao-van-hoang-tran-tro-cung-thien-nhien-qua-tung-net-co-post807644.html
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