Nguyen Duc Duy (born 1966) has been hand‑painting traditional hat boi masks for more than three decades while cycling around Ho Chi Minh City to sell them. His story shows how personal passion can keep a rare craft alive even when money is uncertain.

Duy never received formal training. Instead, he bought books and other reference materials, teaching himself how to mix colors, handle a brush, and paint each line. Before starting a mask, he studies the character’s personality, background and distinctive makeup in detail, because he believes understanding the role is essential for an accurate portrayal.

At first Duy painted masks on plaster, but the material broke easily during transport. He switched to wood, which was stronger but tended to crack and warp under sun and wind. After further research he began using poly stone, a synthetic material that is much more durable.

Each mask requires about six hours of careful painting. Today a finished mask sells for VND250,000 to VND550,000, far higher than the VND10,000‑20,000 price of his early work. Nevertheless, Duy sells only a few masks a day and sometimes returns home without any sales, so his daily income remains unstable.

Despite the irregular earnings, Duy says he will not give up because the craft is his passion and he wants to preserve it for future generations. His self‑directed learning, deep research and material innovation demonstrate how dedication can sustain a traditional art even without steady profit.