A Tale of Three Artists: A Myanmar Narrative

Stories are an important aspect of culture and identity. Many works of art tell stories. As Myanmar opens up after over half a century of isolation, there are many stories to be told as there are eager listeners. Artists like Hlaing Bwa, Maung Win Cho and Myoe Win Aung never gave up creating despite years of isolation and repression. With global interest and change in the air, Myanmar stories of the past, present and future are taking on a fresh perspective.

Asian Palette is pleased to present, “A Tale of Three Artists: A Myanmar Narrative”, an exhibition featuring three artists with distinct styles who collectively reflect the Myanmar art landscape today: Vibrant, Open and Full of Possibilities!

Rich in expression and technique, the artists tend to focus on traditional subjects and religious themes as a result of decades of isolation and a strong nationalistic mindset. This is quickly changing as tourism and the growing international community nurture a more open atmosphere. Asian Palette is happy to provide a platform to support this new era of artistic expression and share the culture of this fascinating country through its art and artists outside Myanmar.

You will see in their narrative, resilience and self preservation as they share beautiful and tranquil aspects of Myanmar life. Colorful and picturesque landscapes, monks, monasteries and every day life reflecting the spirituality, honesty and elegance of the people of Myanmar. As Andrew Ranard explains in his book Burmese Painting: A Linear and Lateral History, “the best painters have always sought a moral order in their works, or dignity, or an expression that forces others to open their eyes to a possibility of change.”

63-year-old U Hlaing Bwa, the Master of Impressionism, 50-year-old Maung Win Cho, an Explorer of Distinct Contemporary Style, and 41-year-old Myoe Win Aung, a Globally Celebrated Watercolourist, are selected senior members of GV Art Center in Yangon and, the first group to tell their Myanmar story with specially curated works for Singapore.

“There really is no predicting in which way Burmese painting will develop in the future, except that whatever the developments, they are sure to be lateral. Traditional painting, realism, impressionism, modernism and mixtures of these, will continue to co-exist, like the intertwining roots and boughs of the Banyan Tree.

Much of Burmese painting in the last 100 years has arisen from circumstances of privation, isolation and anonymity. In this difficult environment, artists have provided the culture with an alternative history, independent of the censured official view more concerned with words than visual imagery. The collective history painted in patches by hundreds of artists is filled with myth – as are the narrative histories of Burma written in text. But as an indigenous history of Burma, it possesses a great deal more self criticism - though camouflaged- than does the narrated memory.”

- Andrew Ranard, Burmese Painting: A Linear and Lateral History (2009)