Duy Truong: Senior artist for the Wurtherington Diary: Interview

Duy Truong is the senior restoration artist for the Wurtherington Diary series. It was an extensive project that required the painstaking efforts of a team of international artists over two years to complete. In that the art for the series is receiving accolades from artists around the globe at Fine Art America everyone has requested that we interview this talented young lady and perhaps, with a little luck, we can discover more about her.

RJ. I know you lived in Vietnam when you found me and wanted to be a part of the Wurtherington Diary. Can you give us a background of you growing up--and then your recent move to Canada?
DT- I was born and grew up in Vietnam. Just like other young people, I was unsure about what I like and want to do in my life. When I was eighteen, I went to college and earned a Graphic Designer degree even though I had the feeling that I might like something else in the second year, already. After I graduated I found a job and lived my life as a graphic designer; :however in 2010 I knew what I want and decided to do something new, I went to United State to attend University. I plan to study animation or fine art. However; it's been a difficult time for me, The life in US is so different and the cost to be an international student is very high, also that time I have some problems of my family that happened to me, everything just suddenly broke me down... I dropped university and came back to Vietnam, I did several different jobs in Vietnam to support myself. One day I decided to be a freelancer, working online with worldwide clients. I found RJ and become one of his artists at that time, He is one of my very first clients and he's the kindest. I moved to Canada recently with better prepared than the last time I moved to US. I hope to learn more about art field to build my dream of becoming an artist in Comic/animation, but this time I will take it very careful and serious.

RJ. Do you have other artists that have inspired you?
DT- I like artists from the 19th like CE Brock or Hugh Thomson...etc. I also Like Japanese comic but the only artist that really inspired me is Osamu Tezuka, not because his art but the philosophy in his stories.

RJ. I'll need to look all of them up. I did look up CE Brock as you mentioned him a while back to me. I can see you are influenced by him. What do you do when you are not creating art?
DT- I like to do crafts like clay sculpting or miniatures. I also like reading book and comic, I write sometime but just in Vietnamese.

RJ. When you mentioned that you could do animation, I wanted you to do some the animated banners for advertising and then a music video for the series. What training and education did you experience?
DT- Well, to be honest, I'm not an expert in animation, I'm still learning and what I know is just like a tiny fish in the ocean. I took an animation class in Vietnam but they don't have any professional or higher classes, I hope to take some in Canada in the future. Hope I'm not too old for it.

RJ. What do you see in your future?
DT- I don't know. Everything can happen. I just hope I can do this creative job in the rest of my life, that's all I care.

RJ. I know that many young people will be inspired by your art. Do you have any words of advice for children who would want to be artists?
DT.- I don't think that my art skill is high enough to give anyone advices but If I do, I just want to say Live your dream and do what you want to do, I never regret what I did in the past, I just regret what I didn't do.

RJ. What is your favorite movie?
DT- I like animation, I like so many that I can not say which one is my favorite. Can you say which one is your favorite kid? No, you love them all. I also like Japanese animation, like Hayao Miyazaki's works. Why...? Because I have never grown up.
There are just a few movies that I really like such as E.T, Jumanzi, It's A Wonderful Life or A Beautiful Mind...

RJ. Do you have a favorite book or story that has meaning for you?
DT.-I read comic more than book (that's why I wanted to become an artist since I was a child... but I do have some of my favorite books like "A little Prince" or "The Catcher In The Rye"... I have a lot of comics in my house back in Vietnam , American comic or Japanese comic, However, my favorite one of all the time is one of Osamu Tezuka's work - "The Phoenix." I love it so much every time I move somewhere, I bring it which me. The story talks about the cycle of life, I really love it. It's not a comic for everyone, it's just for someone who can understand it's meaning.

RJ. Are there movies or television shows that you never watch? Do you remember a book or movie that you thought was terrible?
DT.- Too bad, I never like to watch TV nor TV show/series. For me, TV just waste my time, I stop watching TV after 16 or 17... I never need a TV in my house. Also, If something that I think is terrible, I don't think I will remember them.

RJ. What about the television and movies in Vietnam? Are they in English or Vietnamese? Are there Vietnamese produced television shows? How do they compare with what you see in Canada?
DT.- TV in Vietnam have both Vietnamese and English channels, even Chinese or French. They're almost have all the channels same as here except the Vietnamese Channels. As I said above, I'm never interested watching TV so I can not compare them.

RJ. In that you have traveled a bit, what was your favorite place to visit? What did you like most about it?
DT.- Yes, I have been in some Asian countries and America. The place I Love the most is New York.
RJ. Thank you, Duy. I know all of us look forward to following your career.