An Exhibition of Conceptual Art from /Burma

AUNG MYINT, AYE KO PHYU MON, NYEIN CHAN SU SPEAKING ALONE Thavibu Gallery 21 February - 15 March, 2009 Curator: Shireen Naziree

An Exhibition of Conceptual Art from Myanmar/Burma

AUNG MYINT, AYE KO PHYU MON, NYEIN CHAN SU SPEAKING ALONE Thavibu Gallery 21 February - 15 March, 2009 Curator: Shireen Naziree Published 2009 by Thavibu Gallery Co., Ltd Silom Galleria, Suite 308 919/1 Silom Road, 10500, Tel. 66 (0)2 266 5454, Fax. 66 (0)2 266 5455 Email. [email protected], www.thavibu.com

Layout by Wanee Tipchindachaikul, Copydesk, Thailand

Copyright Thavibu Gallery All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without prior permission in writing from the publisher. SPEAKING ALONE Shireen Naziree

Myanmar... the past has been punctuated with so Most pertinent to the understanding of Myanmar’s many waves of repression that any sort of sensible cultural landscape with its melange of activity is society must renegotiate its relationships with its rich Myanmar’s capital – Yangon. Yangon is above all a historical past as well as with the dynamic flux that commercial centre with a rich history of international represents the rest of Southeast Asia. Geographically exchange. Throughout the British colonial rule that speaking, Myanmar’s isolation has become the face lasted almost a hundred years, Yangon was a hub of its current national identity which is underwrit- of international commerce. Colonial Yangon with its ten by the extreme conditions that affect its civil and spacious layout and mix of exquisite colonial and tra- social environment. Decades of social deconstruction ditional architecture was known for its beauty. Despite and economic unease have reconfigured its geographic its current dilapidated state, the arts inevitably have representation, which is clearly distant from the global t h e i r f o u n d a t i o n i n t h e c i t y ’ s f o r m e r p a s t g l o r y . intersection of technology and visual culture that allow Yangon has a number of private art galleries and openness, free movement and interconnectedness. artists whose work continues to be a vital export This national fragility results in wasted vitalities and the commodity and source of income, although it is true forced isolation of a population and culture obliged to that there are fewer foreign visitors nowadays. play their assigned roles with quiet dignity. With virtually no state support and with only two This dynamic inevitably leads one to consider whether art academies offering basic training best suited these forces allow for a blossoming of artistic activ- f o r a r t i s a n s , Y a n g o n d o e s n o t h a v e t h e g r a s s r o o t s ity and natural dialogue among artistic and cultural initiatives necessary for an innovative and internation- practitioners. As raw material, this uncertainty can be ally competitive art scene. While it is not uncommon transformed into visual poetry and become a point of to encounter numerous self-taught artists, it could departure for unanticipated artistic expeditions through o n l y b e e x p e c t e d t h a t s e r i o u s p r o f e s s i o n a l a r t i s t s irony and allusion, as well as homage to traditional (either progressive or conservative) would become cultural and moral values. Keeping in mind Myanmar’s increasingly committed to finding discursive av- rich cultural past and its current national identity, it goes enues to explore issues and expose their art envi- without saying that any shifting of cultural conditions r o n m e n t w h e r e “ a l m o s t e v e r y b o d y a s p i r e s t o b e a n will affect the production of art in meaningful ways. artist.” This attitude is not only embedded in the

Speaking Alone 3 polarization that has dramatically altered every facet of r e i n t e r p r e t t h e c o m m o d i f i c a t i o n o f a r t a n d i d e a s t o economic practice, but also lies in a historically-based remind us what it really means to have the liberty to nostalgia that has become one of the foundational think differently. sources of artistic inspiration. With Yangon’s cultural landscape seemingly isolated, Although artistic production is often permeated with it is tempting to question how conceptual art practices the nostalgia of a quiet paradise that idolises the past may be perceived to have long-lasting effects while and is deeply engaged in the serenity of Buddhism, claiming to be original yet inclusive, autonomous yet simultaneously there exists a desire to reflect on the relevant. An art space such as the Lokanat Art Gallery present with its contemporary values, as well as his- in downtown Yangon has served as a vital social and tory. In addition, there is the mapping of an expanded intellectual gathering point of the city’s artistic scene field by subtly negotiating the relationship between the s i n c e t h e 1 9 7 0 s . W i t h i n i t s d o w n t o w n l o c a t i o n i n visible and the invisible. This refers to the subliminal a time-scarred building, Yangon’s art community aspects of culture that are articulated through every- has literally preserved an artistic lifestyle of quiet yet day events and daily practices, which suggest a more determined opposition to the flattening of cultural circuitous commentary on Yangon’s contemporary meaning and imagination. This has occurred at a art scene. time when the speed of an electronically linked planet i s r e f l e c t e d i n t h e s w i f t e x p a n s i o n o f a r t p r a c t i c e s Conceptual art and performance art often focus on beyond traditional painting and sculpture to an negating art’s commodity status, a crucial dimension inclusiveness that represents the best possible means that the global contemporary art market now mani- of making personal artistic statements. Freed from festly appropriates. A handful of Yangon artists clearly the constraints of the canvas, conceptual art allows embrace conceptual art practices and performance the artist freedom to express any concept through art that subtly focus on the notion of social sculpture, any means, especially relating to the politics of the which in turn consistently addresses the structures day or the politics of the self. o f p o w e r , c h a l l e n g i n g t h e c o n t r o l l e d a m b i g u i t y t h a t generally characterizes art in order to promote criti- Aung Myint’s art is a clear product of the dynamic cal awareness and dialogue. In a place where art feels interplay between art and life in Myanmar. more literal than ever, conceptual art practices actively 4 Speaking Alone A self-taught artist, Aung Myint graduated as a his own synthesis of Theravada Buddhist influences in psychologist from the Rangoon Arts and Science traditional Burmese art (where non-realist depictions University in 1968. Although his interest in art began reflected the artist’s inner visions and spirituality) and at an early age, it wasn’t until 1969 that he actively t h e i n t e r p r e t i v e c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f W e s t e r n a b s t r a c t pursued artistic expression when he participated in a expressionism (amongst others), Aung Myint became group show in Yangon. Sympathetic to the political a leading figure on Yangon’s art scene. struggle that has nurtured present-day Myanmar, he sought new ways of seeing that would parallel his Aung Myint and his peers were seeking new dimen- concerns. Given the lack of support and exposure to sions of expression and were ready for a new explosion modern art during the latter half of the twentieth cen- in art. The work Beginning and End in 1995 marked tury, largely as a result of the introduction of socialism Aung Myint’s debut as a pioneer of performance in 1962, Aung Myint became one of the founding a r t . T h e a e s t h e t i c t h a t d e v e l o p e d , i n h e r i t e d f r o m h i s members of Yangon’s Inya Gallery of Art in 1989. With vanguard experimental art, would extend itself to earn him international recognition and become an important element in the development of new media art in Myanmar. A renowned painter (Aung Myint was the recipient of the Juror’s Choice Award at the 2002 ASEAN Arts Awards competition), he used his experience of examining the illusory space of the canvas to configure his place in performance art by making of himself a piece of material, which together w i t h m o v e m e n t a n d o t h e r e l e m e n t s a l l o w e d f o r complex and emotional statements.

Together with a number of noted Burmese artists, Aung Myint elevated the status of performance art i n M y a n m a r , p a r t i c u l a r l y t h r o u g h p a r t i c i p a t i o n i n numerous international performance festivals. Aung Aung Myint in performance at Chaungtha beach, Pathain, 1997 Myint’s interactive practices reflect the sentiments of Speaking Alone 5 many Burmese artists and intellectuals. Combining debut in performance in 1999 at the Asiatopia II live performances with other forms of expression such performance art festival in Bangkok. With subsequent as installations and video, artists parodied Myanmar’s performances in , Nagoya and New York, politics of isolation, often seizing on its idiosyncrasies A y e K o o f t e n u s e d e l e m e n t s s u c h a s fi r e a n d w a t e r to highlight their situation. to support his ritualised movements. Prominent in Aye Ko’s performance works is the use of the written Both Aye Ko and Nyein Chan Su are internationally word, which can at once be quietly revealing and renowned artists whose multimedia practices include secretive, a source of bonding as well as of separation performance. In capitalising on the frustration of their that often portrays people under impossible conditions. social environment, both artists often use graphic and It is also a dramatic testament to the power of words cosmetic representations to illustrate their statements. and the way words are linked to the direct and Also a self-taught artist, Aye Ko made his international indirect experiences that constitute the apprehension of his world

Working with multiple artistic disciplines, Aye Ko produces results that are striking at many levels. What is often remarkable is his association with nature. While nature is often reduced to an abstract form, he incorporates sources from philosophy and his own personal history in his work, sources that he explores simultaneously. For Aye Ko, the challenge remains a constant discovery of trying to weave concepts of the individual, the spiritual and nature together into a seamless continuum of reconciliation amidst the uncer- tainty and harshness of his social environment.

Nyein Chan Su is best known for his vibrant artistic

Aye Ko in performance in Yangon, 2006 expression and free association performances.

6 Speaking Alone A founding member of Yangon’s Studio Square Art Gallery, NCS – as he is more popularly known – is recognised for his eclectic practices, often formally challenging the primacy of the painted surface. NCS revels in the excess of meaning, which has reduced the gestures of his canvasses to a fluency that is a rarity in Myanmar art. NCS does not limit himself by the hierarchy of thought but instead strives to create a human intimacy whether in his paintings, installations or performance works. Multiple identities, interactiv- ity and narrative choices join together with complic- ity to form the axis of NCS’s works. Less reliant on the construction of identity, whether individual or cultural, but rather on psychological events, NCS has created works with peripheral vision in which sight extends beyond the borders of physical location. These elements are particularly visible in his series of “Nat” paintings. The artist has used these indigenous spirits, an important part of Myanmar’s cultural and spiritual grammar, as thumbprints or signatures to refer to his Burmese identity.

Nevertheless, it is in performance where he boldly Nyein Chan Su in performance in Bangkok, 2008 defines his situation as an artist within his country’s At Thavibu Gallery’s 10th Anniversary painful modern history. His early works were site specific such as the crowded streets of downtown Yangon, which he chose to boldly define his own fragile emotional states. However, he claims, often with humour, that his works are not particularly rooted in Speaking Alone 7 any particular social or historical circumstances. As much as anything, NCS’s work is about the assertion of his own persona.

In Southeast Asia, it is no coincidence that the emergence of women artists is one of the most interesting developments in contemporary art. While it is a fact that feminist symbolism has incorporated a number of attitudes inspired by the rich history of the region, the identity of feminist art practice in M y a n m a r r e m a i n s a m b i g u o u s . H o w e v e r , i t i s i m p e r a - tive to understand that in Myanmar both individual consciousness and a system of social communication require time to establish themselves in a differential relationship to the social environment. And neither of these can occur in an environment of isolation because their very being depends on exposure.

Phyu Mon in performance in Yangon, 2008 Artist Phyu Mon is a rarity. Born in Mandalay but now living in Yangon, she makes use of a different set of Myanmar traditions. Her work is based on the cul- tural values that have encompassed her world as a daughter of Myanmar, but with an element of ironic contemporary commentary. Digital photography has a l l o w e d P h y u M o n t o w o r k a t t h e i n t e r s e c t i o n o f Transfixed: What am I? several cogent themes, although gender, presence and Giclee print on archival paper, edition of 2 90 x 136 cm absence are paramount in her work, which has also included performance. Her early career focused on paintings that reflected her interest in surrealism. 8 Speaking Alone Intellectual explorations of poetry and the spirituality “SPEAKING ALONE” re-enacts the practices of these that embodies the self have provided her with a link f o u r a r t i s t s . T h e e x h i b i t i o n u n f o l d s a s p e c t s o f t h e o n - to her world fractured by prejudices, philosophies and going story of the solitary situation in which artists crises of identity. i n M y a n m a r f i n d t h e m s e l v e s . U n d e r t h e p r e s e n t c i r c u m s t a n c e s , a r t i s t s h a v e b e c o m e i n c r e a s i n g l y Digital art has allowed Phyu Mon to turn her attention interested in finding alternative discursive avenues to to personal narratives that reflect her desires and quest shelter their artistic expressions from the impact that for a greater identity and social equity for women, h a s d r a m a t i c a l l y a l t e r e d m a n y f a c e t s o f t h e i r w o r l d . although she asserts that these developments often D i g i t a l e l e c t r o n i c t e c h n o l o g y a n d t h e m o n o l i t h i c reflect economic realities and the subservient position power of the global industrialised art markets have of Burmese women, an issue that has become an encouraged artists to reinvest their aesthetics with ongoing theme in her performance art. new dimensions. While this dialectic appears to be in opposition to a cultural landscape seemingly little a l t e r e d b y t i m e , t h e l i m i t e d a v a i l a b l e t e c h n o l o g y h a s

Transfixed: Where am I?, 2008 Transfixed: Inside Out!, 2008 Giclee print on archival paper, edition of 2 Giclee print on archival paper, edition of 2 90 x 136 cm 90 x 136 cm Speaking Alone 9 allowed these artists to transcend typical representa- illustrate the notion of alienation and to involve his tions with renewed authenticity and stronger resonance, audience intimately with his narrative. By moving away even if only as a critical reference point at a time when from the conventional boundaries of representation, internationally there is a clear and dynamic interplay h e c o n f r o n t s t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s o f b e i n g t h r e e - d i m e n - between art, technology and life in general. sional in a two-dimensional pictorial. The mediation of digital photography in Aye Ko’s work closes the gap Transfixed features three digital prints on paper and a between dimensionality and flatness: Aye Ko and his video work by Aye Ko. This combination of digital, pictures assume equal presences in the photographic video and performance art reveals Aye Ko’s artistic frame. Typically in Transfixed: Where am I?, he presents practice as an ongoing exploration of an irresolvable his emotions as imagery, emphasising the negative relationship between his ethos and, by extension, the through a potent use of primary colours. vacuum of his social environment. Aye Ko makes full use of his artistic space. Trans- Aye Ko subtly harnesses the viewer’s habits of percep- fixed: Inside Out! is both provocative and quiet tion to access his works, clearly understanding that as he fully externalises the notion of self-explo- art is absorbed through the senses. He uses imagery ration. In his video Transfixed: Silent Escape, he from his own physical world to create pictures inspired c o n t i n u e s t h e t r a j e c t o r y , t o u c h i n g o n a n o v e r l a y o f by his own spirituality and emotions wrapped within gestures that allow him to manipulate the surface a humanist perspective, which he questions by using a s a p a i n t e r e n g a g e s t h e c a n v a s . T h e s e g e s t u r e s his physical self as a canvas to illustrate and mimic the demonstrate that sophistication and dignified artistic issues he highlights. e l o q u e n c e c a n c o n t i n u e t o t h r i v e e v e n i n a d v e r s i t y . The video draws us into Aye Ko’s interior life – which is Aye Ko’s dynamic images in Transfixed: What am t o s a y , h i s s o u l , t h r o u g h a k i n d o f s p i r i t p h o t o g r a p h y I?, accomplished through varied camera angles and that is evoked by a palette of black and white. Aye sophisticated montage editing, owe much to the frag- K o ’ s v i d e o c o n c e r n s i t s e l f w i t h t h e v i e w e r ’ s r e a c t i o n mented shapes of Cubism, in which multiple views t o h i s e m o t i o n a l s o l i t a r y s t a t e . I t d o e s s o b y a l l o w i n g of reality seen in repetitive layering allow for multiple viewers a glimpse into an historical framework u n d e r s t a n d i n g s o f r e a l i t y . I n d e a l i n g w i t h i s s u e s o f through gestures that he hopes will inspire identity, Aye Ko frequently uses his own image to contemplation of the outer world that surrounds 10 Speaking Alone Transfixed: Silent Escape, 2008 Video still 62.45 minutes, edition of 4

Speaking Alone 11 him. Within the context of Myanmar artists, Aye Ko fragments together and reconnect with his past. For has gained the most international recognition for his the past several years, Aung Myint has explored issues explorations of self beyond conventional boundaries, of his identity, with a focus on its manifestation in the using the camera as a conduit for real life. emotional ideal of a mother’s love. In contrast to Aye Ko, Aung Myint describes his melancholy not only in But Aye Ko has not been utterly solitary in his isolation. spiritual terms, but as a state of mind that is ultimately as life-affirming as it is negating – delicately balanc- Emotions are the places where different memories ing his emotions. In Tears for my Mother, My Moth- and concepts of representation collide. For Aung e r l a n d , a b o d y o f w o r k t h a t h e h a s e x e c u t e d f o r t h i s Myint, the concept of memory is particularly vexing. exhibition, he offers viewers two signature drawings The loss of his mother at four years of age has with on handmade paper, collage and installation. varying degrees vexed his emotional stability. Even though Aung Myint’s work does not make grand Also drawing upon the political, economic and cul- p o l i t i c a l s t a t e m e n t s ( a s “ S P E A K I N G A L O N E ” i s l e s s tural considerations that have dictated his intellectual about nationhood and more about the artists’ trans- makeup, he has constantly attempted to knit the national or transitional circumstances in relation to

Mother and Child (5), 2008 Mother and Child, 2007 Mother and Child (6), 2008 Acrylic and handmade paper on canvas Ceramic Acrylic and handmade paper on canvas 82 x 82 cm 18 x 23 cm 82 x 82 cm

12 Speaking Alone Elements from Tears for My Mother, My Motherland, 2009 Traditional Myanmar papier mâché doll and mixed media paintings Size variable

Speaking Alone 13 Farewell, 2008 Collage and pencil on canvas 85 x 117 cm

sonal memories; by engaging familiar objects of his childhood which are imbued with deep meanings together with his signature sketches, Aung Myint defines where he places himself in relation to the art o b j e c t . F o r t h e i n s t a l l a t i o n e n v i r o n m e n t a l s o a l l o w s for a greater participation by viewers, as Aung Myint invites them to enter the artwork in a literal sense.

For “SPEAKING ALONE,” Phyu Mon favours genteel appreciation of the everyday in her ongoing series of digital photographs titled Hope, w i t h i m a g e s o f children and women gazing into the male strong- hold that she perceives dominant in her society. She deals cogently with the themes of gender, presence a n d a b s e n c e . T h e e x p a n s i o n o f v a r i o u s m e d i a n o w allows artists to tell their own stories, and thus digital manipulation has enabled her to undertake an ever deepening exploration of the self. their living conditions and impending paradigm shifts), Phyu Mon’s dominant concern is with the status he does present the transitory condition of the eco- of women, their inner tensions and despair at the nomic environment of Myanmar in his mixed media c h a l l e n g e s t h e y f a c e . F o r r e g a r d l e s s o f a n y t o k e n collage Farewell, w h e r e h e a d d r e s s e s t h e p a r a d o x e s gestures of equality, it is ultimately the male who is of present-day Myanmar. This work respectively ques- in control. It becomes clear that Hope i s o n e o f h e r t i o n s t h e b i g g e r p i c t u r e o f M y a n m a r ’ s l o s t c o n s u m e r m a j o r p r o j e c t s a s i t s t a n d s a s a b e a u t i f u l t e s t a m e n t economy and social degradation. to the positive values embodied in images such as a child with a balloon. The cultural qualities of her His mixed media installation combining sketches, photographs also relate to the desire to hold onto traditional toys and found objects is rich with per- what is being lost. If the images are meant to be a 14 Speaking Alone Hope (1), 2008 Hope (3), 2008 Lambda print on archival paper Lambda print on archival paper, Hope (2), 2008 edition of 2 edition of 2 Lambda print on archival paper, 61 x 122 cm 60 x 91 cm edition of 2 61 x 122 cm

Hope (4), 2008 Lambda print on archival paper, edition of 2 68 x 91 cm

Speaking Alone 15 memorial to a passing era in her own personal life (her youth in Mandalay), they also reveal the loss of place that had a significant impact in that life. Hope is nostalgic as it gives us a sense of Phyu Mon’s own emotional location. Through her connectedness with t i m e , p l a c e a n d s i t u a t i o n , P h y u M o n h a s p r o d u c e d an allegorical body of work that offers a rare contem- porary engagement with moral consciousness in a world that prefers to bury its horrors.

The striking images comprising Nyein Chan Su’s latest body of work, People, find him exploring the expressive power of being human. While he confronts questions pertaining to the deteriorating conditions of his social environment, he does so in largely formal and sophisticated terms. For “SPEAKING ALONE,” Nyein Chan Su offers examples of the multiplicity of his practice with works on canvas and video. Abandoning his colourful signature style of painting in favour of People – Artist Aye Ko, 2008 a n o t h e r t e r r i t o r y t h a t i s e q u a l l y r e w a r d i n g , h e t a p s Acrylic painted on inkjet print on vinyl into a frequency that is both universal and up to the 122 x 152 cm minute, displaying a rare curiosity for experimentation. even though he has moved to starker material. The As a photo-conceptualist, Nyein Chan Su expands dualism of these inkjet prints on canvas, stamped with photography with a level of intelligence that subtly acrylics, has as much to do with the relation of image, resonates on multiple cultural planes and yet which art and life as it does with artistic innovation. occasionally reveals fissures. In his mixed media portraits of prominent cultural activists, he employs Social discourse amongst artists and cultural practi- layered colour and distorted scale and perspective tioners is paramount in Yangon, and such relationships 16 Speaking Alone People – Artist Maung Di, 2008 People – Artist Maung Aw, 2008 Acrylic painted on inkjet print on vinyl Acrylic painted on inkjet print on vinyl 122 x 152 cm 122 x 152 cm

People – Artist Wathone, 2008 People – Artist Maung Maung Zay Ya, 2008 Acrylic painted on inkjet print on vinyl Acrylic painted on inkjet print on vinyl 122 x 152 cm 122 x 152 cm

Speaking Alone 17 are at the heart of Nyein Chan Su’s practice. People is clearly about emotional connection; although all of the artworks are conceptual, they possess considerable elegance nonetheless. At the same time, they combine an acute sense of respect with what could be termed a f o r m a l c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f a p p r e c i a t i o n – h e a v o i d s being sentimental even though interaction with these i n d i v i d u a l s i s a t o n c e p e r s o n a l a n d i n t i m a t e . L i k e w i s e , he plays with the visual perception of contrasts, as manifest in the lack of eye contact by his subjects and the distorted scale of the images disfigured with the stamps of authority that are the power representa- t i o n s p e r v a d i n g a l l l e v e l s o f e v e r y d a y s o c i e t y . B y dipping his paintbrush into these mainstream value s y s t e m s , h e e f f e c t i v e l y e x p l o r e s t h e i r i n f r i n g e m e n t , be it psychological, intellectual or physical.

Multiple narrative choices, including complicity, come together to form the axis of Nyein Chan Su’s work. In Goldfish, the video camera allows viewers to Goldfish, 2008 experience the physical and psychological location Video still 3.51 minutes video of an unstable, contested space where one must tread carefully. Deceptively simple in its formal rigour, the film blends both sound and image together into The effect is realistic even though we understand o n e h o m o g e n e o u s w h o l e . N C S k n o w s e x a c t l y h o w that what we are really experiencing is merely a to use common examples of his social environment silhouette of his own reality. Making the invisible to turn it into something one would never expect. visible is the heart of visual expression. That’s what His output of typically loud music and garish colours Nyein Chan Su and his peers are doing. takes the viewer straight to the streets of Yangon. 18 Speaking Alone Artists’ Biodata

Aung Myint

Born in 1946, Aung Myint is regarded as a pioneer in contemporary art in Myanmar. He is known for his minimalist expressionism and as an innovator in experimental art. As one of the founding members of Yangon’s Inya Art Gallery in 1989, Aung Myint distanced his a r t f r o m t h e t r a d i t i o n a l r o m a n t i c i s m a n d i n s t e a d c h o s e t o a d d r e s s s o c i a l a n d c r i t i c a l issues through his multidisciplinary artistic practice that includes performance and installation art. However, he is best known for his ongoing “Mother and Child” series, a subtle but critical interplay between his own personal emotional and social parameters. A self-taught artist, U Aung Myint was the recipient of an ASEAN Art Award in 2001 and h a s p a r t i c i p a t e d i n n u m e r o u s e x h i b i t i o n s a n d p e r f o r m a n c e a r t p r o j e c t s i n t e r n a t i o n a l l y as well as in Myanmar. His works are in the permanent art collections of the National Art Gallery of Malaysia, the Art Museum and the Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, as well as in numerous private collections internationally.

Aye Ko

Aye Ko was born in 1963. Although trained in classical and traditional painting under the master artist U Min Soe, Aye Ko has established his international reputation through contemporary forms of expression that have become his hallmark. The artist has exhib- ited extensively; his notable shows include a solo exhibition in New York in 2002 and his participation in the exhibition “Thermocline of Art, New Asian Waves” at the ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art in Karlsruhe, Germany, in 2007. A renowned performance artist, A y e K o h a s p a r t i c i p a t e d a l m o s t a n n u a l l y i n p e r f o r m a n c e a r t f e s t i v a l s i n S o u t h e a s t A s i a , , China and the United States. His art is included in numerous private collections internationally as well as in the private ZKM Museum of Contemporary Art.

Speaking Alone 19 Phyu Mon

Born in 1960 in Mandalay, Phyu Mon graduated from with a B a c h e l o r o f A r t s d e g r e e a n d s t u d i e d p a i n t i n g u n d e r t h e m a s t e r a r t i s t U B a T h a w during 1978 and 1979. She was introduced to video and film production through a programme at the University of Finland. Phyu Mon is one of the very few women artists in Myanmar who currently works with digital photography, a medium that has enabled her to address the angst that many Myanmar women experience. She has been a regular participant in exhibitions since 1985. She represents a new breed of artist who openly invests their sense of restriction and oppression with broader meanings. Phyu Mon is also a performance artist and a renowned poet in her native Burmese language.

Nyein Chan Su

Nyein Chan Su was born in 1973 and graduated from the Myanmar State School of F i n e A r t s , Y a n g o n , i n 1 9 9 4 a n d h a d h i s fi r s t s o l o e x h i b i t i o n a t Y a n g o n ’ s L o k a n a t A r t Gallery in 1997. His participation in the 1999 Fukuoka Art Triennale in Japan launched his international art career. He has since participated in numerous international e x h i b i t i o n s . H e i s e q u a l l y r e n o w n e d a s a p a i n t e r a n d p e r f o r m a n c e a r t i s t a s f o r h i s v i d e o installations. A founding member of Yangon’s Studio Square Art Gallery, Nyein Chan Su is widely regarded as one of Myanmar’s most promising mid-career artists. In 2001, he received a Certificate of Recognition from the ASEAN Art Awards and in 2004 was the second prize winner of the Myanmar Contemporary Art Awards competition. Nyein Chan Su’s artworks are in the permanent collections of the Singapore Art Museum, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum as well as private collections in Europe and Asia.

20 Speaking Alone

B1G1 - Thavibu Gallery has partnered with Buy 1 Give 1 Free, which implies that when you buy an art work from Thavibu Gallery you will automatically give a donation to a charity in the B1G1 network. Donation from one painting purchased provides one blind person with accommo- dation and shelter for one month. www.buy1-give1free.com

www.thavibu.com The Silom Galleria, 3rd Floor Suite 308, 919/1 Silom rd., Bangkok 10500, Thailand Tel (662) 266 5454, Fax. (662) 266 5455 E-mail. [email protected]