Young Vietnamese photographers shine at national festival

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(GLO) – Photographers from Gia Lai province secured top honors at the 2025 Young Photographers Festival, with several works awarded and exhibited, underscoring the rise of a new generation of Vietnamese artists combining creativity, social awareness and technical skill.

The biennial event, organized by the Department of Fine Arts, Photography and Exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, drew more than 2,000 entries this year. From these, the jury presented 17 awards, including two gold medals, three silver, five bronze and seven consolation prizes.

Among the winners, Phan Minh Thọ, 33, from Tuy Phước Đông commune, claimed the gold medal in the conceptual photography category with his series Behind the scores and also earned a consolation prize in documentary photography for street sports art.

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Photographer Phan Minh Thọ with his gold medal-winning series at the 2025 Young Photography Festival. Photo: Provided by the artist

Thọ, who grew up in a family engaged in photography services, has pursued artistic photography since 2015. His award-winning series critiques social pressures around academic achievement, portraying how parents’ obsession with perfect grades can burden children and diminish the true meaning of learning.

“Photography is not just about beauty, it reflects life, provokes thought and inspires,” Thọ said. He added that photographers, particularly younger ones, carry the responsibility of capturing contemporary issues and spreading positive energy through their work.

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The "Street Sports Art" series by photographer Phan Minh Thọ. Photo: Provided by the artist

Thọ has received multiple awards in recent years, including the Photographic Society of America Gold Medal in 2019, first prize at the 2023 Bình Định Agriculture-Farmers-Countryside Photo Contest, and several top placements at provincial contests.

Gia Lai’s presence at the festival was further strengthened by six photographers with works selected for exhibition. Notably, Huỳnh Bá Tính, 35, from Pleiku Museum, had four pieces on display: Echoes of the great forest, Sharing joy, fierce on the track, and the Xoang dance Connecting soldiers and civilians.

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The work "Âm vang đại ngàn" ("Echoes of the Great Forest") is one of four pieces by Huỳnh Bá Tính selected for exhibition at the 2025 Young Photography Festival.

A history graduate who initially documented museum events, Bá Tính developed a passion for photography through field trips and self-study, supported by feedback from fellow highland photographers. His works highlight the landscapes, festivals and everyday life of the Central Highlands.

In 2022, Bá Tính won third prize at a national contest honoring women in culture, sports and tourism. After failing to qualify at the 2023 Young photographers festival, his selection with four works this year marked what he described as a major personal milestone.

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The work "Chung vui" ("Sharing Joy") by Huỳnh Bá Tính

One of his photos, Sharing joy, depicts a foreign tourist laughing with ethnic minority artisans, a scene that, he said, reflects the hospitality of the Central Highlands and supports local tourism promotion.

The strong showing from Gia Lai artists at the 2025 festival reflects both the province’s growing role in Vietnam’s cultural landscape and the determination of young photographers to use their art to tell meaningful stories, preserve heritage and engage with social themes.

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