His love for this country through his angle
Capturing everyday life in Sri Lanka through his photographs
Nguyen Duc Hoang is not a professional photographer – but being the Deputy Country Director for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has never stopped him from pursuing his hobby, but rather fuelled it. Every time he travelled on work around the country, he would take his camera with him.
His passion was demonstrated in his first Sri Lankan exhibition ‘Celebrating Ceylon’ on Monday April 8, at the Ministry of Disaster Management, Colombo 7. It showcased a selection of photographs that illustrated the beauty and strength of Sri Lanka through peace, prosperity and tragedy.
As he is leaving the country in a week, Hoang tells us that ‘Celebrating Ceylon’ was his last opportunity to showcase his love for the land and its people, through photographs he has taken during his four-years here. The photographs include landscapes, portraits, religious ceremonies and day-to-day life and events.
“I hope I have given a small snapshot of Sri Lanka from a different angle, and I hope people can see my passion and love for the country, ” he says.
Nguyen Duc Hoang. Pix by Amila Gamage
By virtue of his office Hoang has worked with the government on different fronts, from food security and nutrition to emergency response preparation and support. His work necessitated travel, and as such the exhibition showcased pictures taken from all parts of Sri Lanka, such as Nuwara Eliya, Jaffna, and Kilinochchi to name a few. It also featured many of WFP’s outreach projects, such as a mangrove conservation project in Mannar and flood relief efforts in Kegalle.
Hoang is particularly proud of ‘Steam’, which was a photograph taken by him in Mullaitivu that won an award at the UN Day Asia-Pacific Contest in 2018.
His photography journey started in black and white –he loves the way it makes tiny details stand out. His portrait photographs, most of which are in black and white, were a diverse collection of faces and personalities that represent Sri Lanka.
“When I see an interesting scene, I stop, jump out of the car and take the photo,” he says. In fact, a number of his photographs were taken at Viharamahadevi Park, since this was close to his home.
The exhibition was organised in collaboration with the Welfare Society of the Ministry of Disaster Management, and the proceeds from the sale of his photographs will go to the Cancer Hospital. “This is the most beautiful country I’ve been in,” he tells us, and he hopes to give back to the country this way.
