Dao Vi (he/him)- concept artist

Bringing light to careers in the art industry many do not know of, Dao Vi is a 21-year-old concept artist based in Los Angeles. As a concept artist, he designs characters for films and video games and helps with the design process for the environment, props, and even vehicles. Vi describes his childhood as pretty average. Born and raised in Vietnam, he spent a lot of time drawing and constantly sketching at school and even at the dinner table.

Even though he had a strong passion for art and knew that he had a talent for drawing, he struggled with the idea of becoming an artist as a career. “What can I do with this, other than drawing?” voiced Dao’s internal monologue. As a teenager, his love for doodling remained his passion, and his knowledge of the field remained little, but things started to change at the end of high school. From a hobby and second thought, art slowly started to shift to something Dao could do when he discovered a book on the concept art behind a video game he enjoyed. He knew art was calling him when making his entrance portfolio for ArtCenter College of Design, in Pasadena CA. In this process of testing his creative limits, he started to feel a new excitement for art and his own story.

Now three years into this field, Dao has had first-hand experiences of the process of creating. “Concept art is not just about making cool art, but also art people relate to”, said Vi. He emphasized the importance of art connecting with the audience, which is why the research and the understanding of what goes into art is a part of the job he is so passionate about. On the flip side, research also has its boundaries and can limit the artist. Vi said he struggles the most when finding the patience to create art for an audience rather than himself. “In the end, what matters is to let go of your ego and your pride, and focus on what you need to finish by the end of the day”, said Vi as he mentioned the struggles of criticism and the feeling of restricting the artist’s creative freedom.

When asked about his stance on the “competitive” stereotype about the art field, he acknowledged its truth but also the benefits of meeting new people. Like many, Vi constantly thought about these skills compared to others, but rather than letting this bring him down, he used this as motivation to keep going. He mentioned this method helped him progress but also hurt him and put burdens on him to have to be one step ahead of others. Realizing this, Vi replaced the subject of comparing himself to “others” to compare himself to how he was in the past and celebrating every little evolution. Now as he compares his current self to someone who just entered the ArtCenter, he realizes his initial tendency to remain high-achieving and self-focused. Although this helped to an extent in growing his relationship with art, he now understands that what matters is not to be the best, but because through faith, he wants to use his talents to praise God.

Vi credits the ArtCenter—although it felt very self-focused—as the factor that helped him with his connections. He appreciated the community of artists that brought him closer to people with the same passions as himself, “but it’s also a matter of diving into different communities, especially ones on social media” added Vi. Now he is working at Parallax Studios and even attended a convention where he got to meet his inspirations. However, aside from his paying career, he wants to challenge himself to make art that reflects his faith.