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Transcript of GALLERY EXHIBITIONS - ts1yangon.comts1yangon.com/v2/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/EXHIBITIONS.pdf ·...
P H Y O E K Y I
/
S I L K S C R E E N
O N S H A N P A P E R
PHYOE KYI:
THE OTHER SIDE
Text by Nathalie Johnston
TS1 Yangon’s first contemporary Myanmar art
exhibition featured work by accomplished artist
Phyoe Kyi, a resident of Taunggyi in Shan State
and one of few contemporary artists in the country
who work with new media such as video, design,
and silkscreen. His work reflects part of the energy
TS1 wants to embrace in Yangon and Myanmar in
general: a devotion to the future possibilities of a
place and the artists who look beyond traditional
ways of seeing to create innovative responses to the
present.
This was Phyoe Kyi’s first solo exhibition in Yangon
since 2001. His work invites the viewer not only into
the physical space where his work was displayed,
but also into the story of how he came to this place
in time. This series I Never Sleep Without takes the
viewer from Phyoe Kyi’s own childhood through to
adulthood, touching on all the dreams of meditation,
envy, greed, sympathy and more. It is a complex
journey through the life of artist and nature, mother
and son, performance and print. Phyoe Kyi struggled
to arrive at this conceptual place: his other side.
The title The Other Side was inspired by a Burmese
song about a boy who never chose the right path.
Nurtured to be what our elders perceive to be good,
we are raised in a nest of perfect moments, meant
to make us great. And yet, inside each of us is the
uncontrollable desire for the sin: the admiration of
what the world around us perceives to be evil. We find
strength in the villain; inspiration in jealousy; honor
in betrayal. We hide these needs and wants while
embracing the impulse to belong. Train yourselves
to understand that right and wrong always come
together. Ask for forgiveness. Find the right moments
for yourself. And never sleep without...
P H Y O E K Y I
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S I L K S C R E E N
O N S H A N P A P E R
P H Y O E K Y I
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S I L K S C R E E N
O N S H A N P A P E R
G R O U P S H O W
I T ’ S A L O N G W A Y :
7 A R T I S T S F R O M M Y A N M A R
3 0 M A Y 2 0 1 4 ~ 5 J U L Y 2 0 1 4
W A I M A R N Y U N T
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V I D E O I N S T A L L A T I O N
F R O M L E F T
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L W I N O O M A U N G
P A I N T I N G
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M A Y P H U E T H E T
I N S T A L L A T I O N
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C H A W E I T H E I N
P A I N T I N G
Z A R M I N H T I K E
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I N S T A L L A T I O N
IT’S A LONG WAY:
7 ARTISTS FROM MYANMAR
Text by Nathalie Johnston
This punctuating phrase can be heard on the streets
of Yangon. It is a culminating sentiment that has
origins stretching back into the pages of Myanmar’s
history. It’s a Long Way is a common English phrase
spoken in colloquial conversation amongst the
people of Myanmar. Exactly where it originated from
or when people started using it, no one is able to
say one way or another. However, one story helps to
place it in context.
Simultaneously referencing a colonial past and a
future infamous for its protests, a children’s story
describes it best: the story of Myanmar’s most
famous student Bo Aung Kyaw. He was the first of
many students to sacrifice his life for his belief in an
independent Burma. It was 1938, and Bo Aung Kyaw
and his classmates marched to the Secretariat to
stage a demonstration against the occupying British
Imperial police. Many were beaten by the mounted
policemen and several died, including Bo Aung Kyaw.
It is said that as the police forces beat the students
from atop their horses, they yelled “It’s a long way
to independence!” Ten years and World War later,
Burma became independent from the United
Kingdom.
Myanmar has experienced dozens of transition
periods and sure to experience many more. Despite
experiencing censorship and numerous limitations,
contemporary artwork in Myanmar often explores
the largely misunderstood narratives around the
country’s history, present circumstances and future
challenges. It’s a Long Way reflects these sentiments,
but it is not meant to be tragic. Its sentiment is
hopeful yet cautious about the long road to stability,
equality, and peace.
The title was chosen after the artists’ concepts were
shared. Ko So explores the environmental impact
of consumption and Waimar similarly addresses
changing cityscapes as it relates to social gatherings;
Chaw Ei Thein paints the struggles of those living on
the borders and Zoncy is interested in the conditions
of women working in the city; May Phue Thet reveals
the loss of tradition amongst a young generation; Zar
Min Htike and Lwin Oo Maung invite the viewer to
closely scrutinize the contradictions of political and
religious systems, respectively.
The artists choose to wade through the reflections
on change, whether or not that change is occurring,
and why one might feel trepidation about the future.
Never exhibited before, their work intimates their
disappointments and expectations. This exhibition
is a statement: where Myanmar is now and where it
hopes to go.