Van Thuc Cao, also known as Cao Thuc, graduated from the Vietnam University of Fine Art in 2020 and initially achieved some success with realistic oil paintings of portraits and highland scenes. Cao Thuc stated: “The images of the highland people are the feelings and emotions that have always been present in me since the student days. After graduating from university, I continued to have many opportunities to travel and live in that distinctive atmosphere. Certain images are imprinted in my mind, like the innocence of the children or the perpetuating endurance of a woman where there were more stones than arable soil. Through my two pieces In the Kitchen and The Joy, I convey a bit of my impression and nostalgia about the highland life and people.”