DETAILED: A street corner in Trần Nam Long's painting.

 by Nguyễn Kiều Trinh

He may be just 15-years-old, but Trần Nam Long’s artistic skills are way beyond his tender age.

And the teenager is now putting his talent to good use, raising millions of VN đồng to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic by selling his paintings.

But what makes Long’s achievements all that more remarkable, is the fact he has been unable to speak or hear since he was born.

“Long is very meticulous and always commits to his work,” said his mother Phùng Thị Hiếu.

“Perhaps his difficulties to communicate bring him into his own introspective and emotional world.”

From a very early age, Hiếu knew there was something different about her son. She could see his artistic talents shine through even when he was just a baby.

She noticed he was fascinated with colours and shapes since early in his childhood so enrolled him into an art class to try and nurture his skills.

But the sudden death of his father meant his lessons had to come to an abrupt end.  

Hiếu said: “The monthly fee of VND400,000 was too much for us at that time, so his first lesson was also his last. I felt so sorry for him and I had to find ways to continue his course.”

After winning an art competition at an early age, a teacher spotted his talents and offered him free courses.

To this day, that teacher is still Long’s idol.

“We sent five paintings to the competition, and two of which were given the highest prize,” his mother Hiếu said.

“After the competition, a teacher named Hữu Chinh offered him free art courses, because he really loves Long’s talent and appreciates his passion for art.

“Long took to this art teacher like a duck to water. Long really likes and admires him a lot. Until now, Chinh is still his idol.

“There were days Long work for a full three hours after school with his teacher. He is also the one who helped Long to unlock his artistic instincts.”

Their small home began to soon fill up as Long painted more and more, turning their tiny house into a gallery.

He can regularly be spotted strolling around the neighbourhood in Hạ Đình, notebook and pencil in hand making sketches of everything he sees.

Outside their home in the family’s front yard, he has his easel set up painting every spare chance he gets. For a child who cannot speak, art is clearly his way to communicate. 

“Normally, the mother must be the one who understands her children most, but Long is not like others," Hiếu said.

“He cannot hear which is a huge barrier, and at first I didn’t know sign language. We always misunderstood and it put a lot of pressure on me. I was so stressful that sometimes I could only look at my child and cry desperately because I didn’t know what to do to connect with him.

“Long is also a shy child. So there was more pressure and things became more difficult.”

But when he has a paintbrush in hand, Long comes out of his shell, much to his mother’s delight. Now, despite struggling herself to feed her family, she and her son have decided to help those less fortunate, by selling his paintings to raise money for those fighting COVID-19.

Proceeds from the sale of a recent painting were donated to the Việt Nam Motherland Front Committee to support the government stop the spread of coronavirus and he hopes to sell more in the future to help the cause. 

As for Long himself he has managed to learn to communicate through sign language.

Speaking with the help of his mother, he said: “I draw a variety of topics such as hometowns, cities, hills, flowers, bicycles and other daily things. I draw based on pictures and my imaginations.

“I love drawing and I often sketch every Sunday afternoon with my mother.

“I really like the French architecture. It was hard for me at first when I started to paint to sketch it, but now everything becomes easier for me.”

There are many amazing works of art painted by Long, but one that stands out is a portrait of his mother.

Hiếu said: “After finishing a portrait of me, Long asked me, ‘Why so sad? I can see it in your eyes. You are lovely. I love you very much.’”

These words are enough to melt the heart of any mother, but when spoken through sign by her immensely talented but hearing- and speaking-impaired son, she feels they take on a greater meaning. VNS 

GLOSSARY

He may be just 15-years-old, but Trần Nam Long’s artistic skills are way beyond his tender age.

People have skills in certain things when they are able to do them well.

Tender means “soft hearted”.

And the teenager is now putting his talent to good use, raising millions of VN đồng to help the country fight the COVID-19 pandemic by selling his paintings.

A pandemic happens when people all over the world catch a disease at the same time.

“Long is very meticulous and always commits to his work,” said his mother Phùng Thị Hiếu.

Meticulous means very carefully and very focussed.

To commit to your work means to be very dedicated to it.

“Perhaps his difficulties to communicate bring him into his own introspective and emotional world.”

To communicate means to send information to other people. It may be through talking, writing, singing or any number of ways.

Introspective means soul searching.

Emotional means to do with one’s feelings.

She noticed he was fascinated with colours and shapes since early in his childhood so enrolled him into an art class to try and nurture his skills.

To enrol into a class means to sign up for a class.

To nurture someone means to teach someone and care for them while they are growing and learning.

But the sudden death of his father meant his lessons had to come to an abrupt end.  

Abrupt means sudden and unexpected.

To this day, that teacher is still Long’s idol.

An idol, in this case, means a hero.

“After the competition, a teacher named Hữu Chinh offered him free art courses, because he really loves Long’s talent and appreciates his passion for art.

Talent is natural skill.

If you have a passion for something means to love it so much you do not worry too much about how much time or money you spend on it.

“Long took to this art teacher like a duck to water.”

To take to something like a duck to water means to instantly like it.

“There were days Long work for a full three hours after school with his teacher. He is also the one who helped Long to unlock his artistic instincts.”

Unlock means “free”

Instincts are natural forces that cause people to follow their interests.

Outside their home in the family’s front yard, he has his easel set up painting every spare chance he gets. For a child who cannot speak, art is clearly his way to communicate. 

An easel is a board, supported by legs, that is used by painters to draw pictures.

But when he has a paintbrush in hand, Long comes out of his shell, much to his mother’s delight.

When someone comes out of their shell, they stop being shy.

Proceeds from the sale of a recent painting were donated to the Việt Nam Motherland Front Committee to support the government stop the spread of coronavirus and he hopes to sell more in the future to help the cause.

Proceeds, in this case, means “the money that was made”.

Donated means “given”.

Speaking with the help of his mother, he said: “I draw a variety of topics such as hometowns, cities, hills, flowers, bicycles and other daily things. I draw based on pictures and my imaginations.

Topics are subjects.

Imaginations are creative ideas that come into your mind.

“I really like the French architecture.”

Architecture is the design of buildings.

There are many amazing works of art painted by Long, but one that stands out is a portrait of his mother.

A portrait is a painting, or photograph of someone, usually including their head and shoulders.

These words are enough to melt the heart of any mother, but when spoken through sign by her immensely talented but hearing- and speaking-impaired son, she feels they take on a greater meaning.

Immensely means “very”.

WORKSHEET

Find words that mean the following in the Word Search:

1. Someone who shows children how to do things.
2. A piece of ground next to a home.
3. The part of a human body that holds a paintbrush.
4. A topic that Trần Nam Long draws.
5. Trần Nam Long’s relationship to his mother.

ANSWERS: 1. Teacher; 2. Yard; 3. Hand; 4. Hills; 5. Son.