Le Nguyen Vy hopes his art will be remembered forever, his chosen medium is certainly durable – Vy was one of the first artists in the country to superimpose photographs on stone.
It’s not only the images of celebrities like President Ho Chi Minh and musician Trinh Cong Son that Le Nguyen Vy sets in stone, he also likes to capture famous landscapes like Ha Long Bay and Ngu Hanh Son Mountain.
The process is delicate and precise and Vy goes out of his way to find the best materials for each photo. Whenever he receives a commission, Vy heads off to streams and rivers in central Quang Nam Province, where he says the best rocks can be found, worn smooth by the running water.
choose a stone,” he says.
inspired him. Then he discovered photography.
“Before 1975, taking photos was not easy. I was lucky enough to have a friend who could teach me, but I knew it would be hard to feed my family as a photographer,” he says.
After studying and practising, Vy was finally able to process a black and white photo on stone in 1,995m, while other artists around him were pasting photos onto stone and wood.
People like being reminded of the beauty of nature, he says, especially in this tech-centric age.
Le Nguyen Vy developed a technique to superimpose colour images onto stone in its natural state. He has since started using seashells.
Desperate to find a silver lining, Vy started to learn the techniques all over again – this time for colour photos. And this time, he learnt how to superimpose photos without changing the shape of the stone.
To do this, he needed to buy advanced technology and quality chemicals. This needed money. With the full support of his wife and children, Vy remortgaged his house and sold his motorbike, the only one in the family.
Vy receives a certificate from the Vietnam Record Books Centre for his art work - the first of its kind in Vietnam.
was doing,” says Vy’s wife Tran Thi Chanh.
It took him ten years, but Vy finally turned his dream into reality in 2005 when he sold his first colour photos on stone.
His venture has been a roaring success. Since 2005, Vy has held exhibitions in Da Nang City and opened a gallery in HCM City.
Chau Thang, a resident in southern Kien Giang Province, says he was very impressed by the stone photos, especially the photos of the late President Ho Chi Minh and musicians Trinh Cong Son.
Going from one success to another, in 2007 Vy clinched a place in the HCM City-based Vietnam Book of Records for his product – the first of its kind in the country.
Although Vy needs technology to superimpose the photos in a process he keeps top secret, each piece is unique and has a personal touch.
“The artist has to have a keen eye to make the most out of the colour, light and texture of the stone,” he says.
One piece can take months to complete.
“The most difficult thing is superimposing the photo onto the stone. Once that’s done, the stone is varnished with a special protective chemical that will keep it from fading for 20 years or more.
Today, Vy works from dawn until dusk fulfilling orders. The artist has also developed ways to print photos on seashells.
“For me, one quality work is better than ten badly-done pieces,” he says.