A young man from Nghe An province with the talent to create portraits on hair.
(Baonghean.vn) - Drawing portraits is difficult, but creating portraits on hair is even more challenging. However, this is a skill that a young man from Thanh Chuong (Nghe An province), who works as a barber in Hanoi, performs proficiently.
Hair portrait carving has been around abroad for a long time, but it's still very new in Vietnam and few people can do it. This work requires skilled and talented craftsmen, especially those who know how to draw portraits and the ability to transfer images onto hair using tools such as knives, scissors, and clippers.
Recently, images of a young man from Thanh Chuong skillfully creating portraits on hair have been circulating on social media, attracting much attention. This is Tran Dinh Nham (25 years old), originally from Thanh Ha commune, Thanh Chuong district, who works as a barber in Hanoi.
| Let's watch this young man from Nhut paint portraits on hair. |
From a young age, Nham enjoyed cutting hair for people in his village. As he grew up, while studying at the Mechanical Engineering College and during his years working in Taiwan, he also frequently cut and styled fashionable hairstyles for his brothers and friends.
When Nham saw professional hairdressers creating portraits on hair on social media, she confidently thought, "I can do it too," and began experimenting. Her initial creations were simple and rudimentary, but they received much encouragement from friends. However, back then, Nham didn't think she would become a hairdresser.
After returning to Vietnam (in 2017), Nham decided to completely abandon his mechanical engineering career and moved to Hanoi to pursue hairdressing. He developed a passion for the art of creating portraits on hair right from the start of his career.
 |
| Tran Dinh Nham and his completed artwork on a young man's hair. Photo: Huy Thu. |
After a period of studying and successfully practicing portraiture, Nham enthusiastically embarked on this work. Although she hasn't been in the profession for long, with her innate talent and eagerness to learn, Nham quickly produced outstanding portraits that are loved by many.
Recently, Nham has become known among young people as one of the two "golden scissors" from Nghe An province specializing in creating portraits on hair in the capital city.
 |
| A vibrant painting is being completed by Nham. Photo: Huy Thu. |
According to Nham, creating a portrait on hair requires a lot of thought and deliberation from the hairstylist, starting with choosing the image—not every image is suitable, they must select a suitable one—then carefully studying how to represent it before starting the work.
When carving, one must fully immerse themselves in the subject to highlight the character's essence. Carving a portrait might only take an hour or so, but it requires meticulous research beforehand. "Drawing on paper, mistakes can be corrected or replaced, but carving a portrait onto hair means discarding the entire artwork if there's even a slight misstep. This work requires careful observation and caution," Nham explained.
 |
| Carving portraits onto hair requires skill, talent, patience, and perseverance from the craftsman. Photo: Huy Thu |
Besides showcasing diverse and vivid portraits, Nham also manages to depict birds, flowers, and landscapes on hair very realistically.
When asked about her future plans, Nham said she intends to stay in this profession for the long term. “I’m trying to explore new things, hone my skills, so that each piece I create is a reflection of my passion and enthusiasm. I also have some ideas to further develop the art of portrait carving on hair and hope to open a shop in my hometown someday, spreading this art form…” – Nham shared.
