Harper's Bazaar Vietnam: Knight of Kindness

[as originally published on bazaarvietnam.vn]

Sir Daniel Winn has countless titles. He is not only a painter, sculptor, philanthropist and director. He is also a knight.

“May I introduce Daniel Winn. He is a knight." The introduction surprised me. The names of the knights I have heard are Elton John, Patrick Stewart, Paul McCartney. They are all representatives of an era. And one of them is standing right now smiling at me, a middle-aged man with dreamy and thoughtful eyes, neatly trimmed black hair and a monochromatic outfit. Black makes him somewhat mysterious -- the knight standing in front of me is so simple!

Anyone who had the opportunity to meet a knight, would ask the same question as I had: "How did you become a knight?" "I believe I am the first Vietnamese to be knighted. It's a long story. If you want to understand everything thoroughly, I would like to start from the time I left Vietnam in 1975.” Over the next two hours, I went from wonder to wonder before this magical man's life.

Life in the land
Daniel K. Winn was born in Dong Nai. When he was 9, his family emigrated to the United States. Their life in the new land was very hard. He had to take care of his younger brother when his parents went to school during the day and worked at night. Fortunately, Daniel did very well and passed the University of California School of Medicine. As a student, he published many research papers. He also tutored to cover his tuition fees.

"In those early days, I always cherished a passion for art" - he confided. Drawing and creativity came to him as naturally as breath: "I never planned what I would draw. There is a source of energy from the universe calling me. What I did was give it a shape. " However, it was a precarious profession. You see countless artists out there struggling to live with passion. So, Daniel put that dream away, But when he went to college, he worked part-time at a painting studio and painting shop for money to buy brushes, paints and canvas.

"A lot of times I wondered if I was happy. If one day I leave, what would I leave in this world?" So, he went against the wishes of his family, opening a studio and a small gallery. After that was working long hard days without stopping. Soon, he owned two more high class galleries in Newport Beach and Laguna Beach. In 1997, he founded Masterpiece Publishing, specializing in identifying and promoting artists. With exquisite aesthetic eye, he helped numerous artists become famous.

Suddenly one day, he realized that he had forgotten something. "I had spent twenty-five years of my life honoring the works of other artists and forgetting my own artistic ego. At that point, I realized it was time for me to live for myself," he recalls. In 2016, at the age of 50, Daniel Winn returned to being an artist. Twenty years as an art broker has brought him a lot of relationships. He knows the industry well and knows who to turn to for help. Very quickly, Daniel Winn was once again famous as an artist. "Do you ever think that if you had started earlier, you will achieve more?", I asked. He said: "Not once. Even if I started drawing 20 years ago or 20 years from now, I still think I have succeeded. It is up to you to define what success is. To me, that's when I was able to paint pictures that touched viewers and moved them."

From a young age, Daniel has always pondered about life. Why are some people very unhappy, but others are lucky? Why are there rich and poor people? He constantly pondered those things as he struggled to study, work and stand on his own feet. Life really is just like a dream. Our existence is just a moment of reality. A hundred years of human life is just as transient as the dust of the universe. What is the meaning of sadness and joy? He tries to incorporate those philosophies into his paintings and works: "Imagine each work is a book page. When a person sees my work, hopefully they will understand more about the significance of their existence and live more fully". What you have done in your life is far more important than what you had.

Happiness from giving
Daniel understood the meaning of his life thirteen years ago, when his mother passed away. He said: "She often went back to Vietnam to do charity work. That year, in her memory, I did the same thing." He still remembers a village full of old people and children in the mountains. They live in conditions of deprivation and difficulty, but they are still genuinely happy. They are happy for any small thing. At that point, his eyes fill with tears: "I know that these are tears of happiness". Is that something we get back from giving?

From that day, Daniel turned to philanthropy. This person introduces him to the other. Gradually, he contributed to many charities throughout the United States. He muses: "I stopped counting long ago. If I see need, I just give. Sometimes I give money, sometimes I donate paintings to auction." Sometimes he feels guilty because he feels even happier than his recipient: "I thank them for letting me do this."

“When I gave, I found myself happier than the recipient and I felt somewhat guilty for that.”

Knight of Kindness
This life is full of miracles. As you give, you receive a bigger gift. That's exactly what happened to Daniel. At a charity function that he attended, he was introduced to Prince Mario-Max Schaumburg-Lippe. The prince had seen him at many charitable events. He invited him to have lunch.  "It's the longest lunch in my life," he remembers. During the meal, Daniel was surprised by dozens of questions about himself, his career, and his life. He responded without knowing their purpose. At the end of the meal, the prince informed him that he would nominate him for knighthood to his father, Prince Waldemar Stephen Schaumburg-Lippe. ― "I was very skeptical at the time. I didn't think I deserved it. What had I done that was so great?", Daniel laughs.

A few months later, he received notice that German prince Waldemar Stephen Schaumburg-Lippe and his wife had flown to the United States to meet him. After a conversation, the Prince announced that he would be knighted. In more than seventy years, he had only knighted five people, including Daniel. He remembers that he was curious: "How much do I have to pay for this title?" The Prince looked at him sternly: "This is the noble title awarded to individuals who have great dedication to humanity. Even ten million US dollars couldn’t buy it."

It was like the happy ending of a fairy tale. The knighting ceremony was held on December 21, 2018 in his gallery before the witness of friends and relatives. I'm curious:  "What did the title of the knight bring to you? " His answer I will remember forever: "It's like a reminder that I have to be responsible to humanity. The title also acts as a witness to my reputation. When I call for charity donations, people will trust me. After this, my dream is to open a charity gallery in Vietnam. The artists will be able to exhibiting works for free. Sales and ticket proceeds will be donated to charity".