iAMHCMC - Designing a Better Future

Teaching doesn't always require words. Just look at the work of Dao Van Hoang, who teaches conservation practices through vibrant drawings and graphic designs.

Drawing is my lifelong hobby, and nature's stories are my passion now. The two didn't meet until 1999, when I first crossed the Dong Nai river on the ferry to enter Cat Tien National Park. I discovered thousands of strange creatures, mammals covered with scales, tadpoles that grow canines like vampires, and wanted to draw them all. With my first tablet and digital pen, I made a small book to be distributed to children around the park to help them understand the forest and its creatures.

With the success of the book, WWF commissioned me to paint a 200km2 wall at the reception with the fauna and flora of the park. I used to escape the advertising agency where I worked to come to the park to paint the leopard cat, python and other creatures at the top of the wall, perching on an acrobatic ladder.

You can still see this mural at the reception, and the other artwork I did with house paint at the canteen depicting a life-size elephant, rhino, tiger and a bird wall for bird lovers.

Some animals are lucky enough to be confiscated by the combined efforts of the government's Forest Protection Department and an NGO named Wildlife At Risk, and they end up in a temporary rescue centre. Telling that story was complex and needed more than a tablet or house paint. Within 72 km 2, I used an art installation, painting, graphic design and interior lighting to explain to visitors how close to extinction Vietnamese wildlife is, what is needed to save them and how one can help.

The marine environment faces similar issues. The Con Dao archipelago is an example. This paradise of pristine beaches and coral reefs is assaulted by pollution and overfishing. There is little hope of convincing grown-ups not to spoil their own habitat, but I thought young school kids were more open to conservation messages. So I combined visuals and sounds to convey the "Love Your Sea" message. Half the population of the island was drawn to the venue.

While I still struggle with the logistical and financial aspects of being an artist, most of my wildlife art is about hope, hope for a better environment.

iAMHCMC - April 2017