An Agent Orange victim, Le Minh Chau is determined to overcome his fate and find his own path. He is now the creator of hundreds of impressive paintings.
Le Minh Chau – a young man identified as an Agent Orange victim – has been passionate about painting since he was nine. While pregnant, his mother drank water in an area contaminated with chemical toxins. His family then sent him to Hoa Binh Village (Tu Du Hospital, Ho Chi Minh City) when he was just six months old.
His weak arms prevent the artist from fully expressing his ideas, so he switched to painting with his mouth. Every time he practises with a pen or brush, he has to endure pain and difficulty. But Chau always tries to overcome it to pursue his passion.
To date, at only 25 years old, Le Minh Chau has painted more than 1,000 works. He says he does not want to sell these paintings because they are like his spiritual children, created with so much effort.
Recalling his early days, Chau had to struggle hard to sell his paintings. Some he painted in a single night, while others took almost a year to complete. He does all the work himself, without asking anyone for help.
Chau usually paints at night, a quiet time for him to focus on creating. The painter says there are nights when, exhausted, he falls asleep, then suddenly wakes up and paints on unconsciously, before falling asleep again without knowing when.
Chau can paint almost every genre, from portraits and decorative art to abstract art. In general, his works are brightly coloured, just like the thoughts of this talented young man.
Chau has just rented a room on Phan Van Tri Street, District 5, Ho Chi Minh City, for 7.5 million VND per month. It is spacious enough for him to display his works.
Chau says there have been times when he fell into depression and discouragement and wanted to give up everything, including his life. But thanks to encouragement and advice from family and friends, and his passion for painting, he overcame it and found the value of his life.
Chau often goes online to explore and learn about new works. Through social media, he has also made friends with several foreign artists thanks to his fairly good foreign language skills.
The young painter has also invited a tutor to teach him more English so he can improve his grammar and other skills.
After each lesson, Chau does his homework to review what he has learned.
Chau also works as a designer of logos and product designs. In the photo, he is advising a friend. He reveals that he can also do body painting.
The plan Chau set out for 2016 includes carrying out his project in a new field: body painting.
When he has free time, Chau often goes for coffee, meets friends or goes somewhere to relax. He has a wheelchair but hardly uses it. Chau usually moves around on his worn knees.
A new horizon opened up for Chau when American director Courtney Marsh portrayed him in Chau, beyond the lines. It was one of five short documentaries nominated for an Oscar in 2016. Chau also travelled to New York (USA) to attend a screening at the United Nations in June.
According to zing.vn