Myanmar's Contemporary Art Scene Emerges from Decades of Military Dictatorship
Since the elections in 2015, Myanmar's modern art landscape has flourished, providing artists with greater freedom of expression. This creativity is showcased in private galleries, online platforms, and public spaces, often tackling issues such as colonialism and ethnic strife. In 2015, Emily Phyo captured portraits of individuals, while Chaw Ei Thein addressed Buddhist violence through her Camouflage Series. In 2016, Bart Was Not Here produced prints of political figures. Kaung Su's 2019 Genocide series focused on ethnic groups, and Htein Lin's Recently Departed referenced Rohingya communities. A pivotal exhibition for queer representation in Yangon was Richie Htet's A Chauk in January 2020. Nathalie Johnston, who wrote this analysis, leads Myanm/art.
Key facts
- Myanmar held its first free elections in 2015 after decades of military dictatorship
- Artists face limited public spaces, working in private galleries, online, and streets
- Emily Phyo photographed one person daily for 365 days in 2015 as a census project
- Chaw Ei Thein painted camouflage on Buddha statues in 2015 to address Buddhist violence
- Bart Was Not Here created prints of political figures like Ne Win and U Wirathu in 2016
- Kaung Su's 2019 Genocide series used abstract storms to reference ethnic communities and climate change
- Htein Lin exhibited a burned house replica in Yangon's Secretariat building in 2019
- Richie Htet's January 2020 exhibition A Chauk featured nude males and addressed queer identity
Entities
Artists
- Nathalie Johnston
- Emily Phyo
- Chaw Ei Thein
- Bart Was Not Here
- Kaung Su
- Htein Lin
- Richie Htet
- Ne Win
- U Wirathu
Institutions
- Myanm/art
- ArtReview Asia
- The Secretariat
Locations
- Myanmar
- Yangon
- India