Vietnam artist in race to paint 'heroic mothers'

STORY: Location: Cao Lanh City, Vietnam

This artist is on a mission to paint Vietnam’s ‘heroic mothers’

‘Heroic mothers’ is an honor that is accorded

to women who made significant sacrifices during the Vietnam War

It includes women who lost two or more sons, or both a son and husband

75-year-old Dang Ai Viet is racing to paint as many portraits as she can

Of the women accorded, 5,000 of them are still alive

Most of them are now in their 90s, with the oldest one Viet has met being 105

[Dang Ai Viet, Artist]

"I want to paint all of them. My biggest fear is that they will leave (this world), and I would never want to miss anyone. I'm telling you, this is such a cruel race against time because time never waits for anyone. The mothers are very elderly now. People come and go. That is the circle of life. So, if I were even just a bit late, I may never get to see the mothers again."

Viet joined the Viet Cong at 15 as a guerrilla fighter

She considers herself a part of their stories, and understands the sacrifices of war

"It would be difficult for the generations who are born after all the struggle and sacrifice was done, that those who paid the price were their own father, uncle or grandparents. And because of their sacrifices, their mothers became heroic. I paint so that the current generation and the ones after will have a chance to see the look in the eyes of a mother who lost more than one of her sons."

Upon completion of each painting, the portrait is handed over to the family as a keepsake

It's significant as most of the women have never owned a photo of themselves before

[Thuong Van Hop, Son of ‘heroic mother']

"The painting today will become a memory of my mother. From now on, there is a picture of her in the family's possession and we can always see my mother. For when the time comes, when she is not here with us anymore but it will be like she is still with our family."