A SHORT CENTURY: MYANMAR CONTEMPORARY ART (11 Feb, 2005)

Early evidence of Myanmar’s artistic history can be traced back to cave paintings of the Stone Age. But it is the introduction of Buddhism to Myanmar in the 5th century BC during the lifetime of Lord Buddha that has been most significant in the cultural landscape of Myanmar. Initially the function of art was mainly ethical and functional. Traditional painting and sculpture resplendent with religious overtones had important roles in the shaping of Myanmar society. Temple murals enlightened people on the teachings of Lord Buddha and stories of life. Sculptural forms and carvings that adorned temples and later palaces were naturally associated with Buddhist themes and spirituality. Although this traditional statuary was enhanced and stylized during the course of the various dynasties that ruled Myanmar, painters and sculptors were not recognized for their artistic creations. With no formal art training they were commonly referred to as artisans who generally worked under a “master” in a relationship that was more spiritual than tutorial. In essence, the early development of Myanmar art was more a matter of perfecting skills than of artistic expression.

By the 19th century, evidence of change was signaled by the Western influences of British colonial rule. The continuing traditional painting with its carefully crafted lyrical and poetic symbolisms remained a vital aesthetic within the cultural psyche of Myanmar. But with the increasing number of foreigners who visited the country and the numerous architects and civil servants with artistic interests who settled in the larger cities of Mandalay and Yangon, the disciplines of Western art became of interest. The representative techniques of classic European art were studied and adapted to enhance the illusion of reality by the traditional Myanmar artists in their Buddhist interpretations. Expatriate artists added to the cult of the picturesque with detailed engravings that documented historical events and less formally with watercolours that portrayed the natural beauty of Myanmar and her people. While the influences of the conservative colonial perceptions in art continued, the representative art of Myanmar developed into a kind of craftsmanship where the aesthetic was often the result of a transcendental experience related to the lyrical sensibilities of Buddhism.

The emergence of Myanmar modern art at the turn of the 20th century can be sighted through the works of U Ba Nyan (1897-1945). He played an important role in articulating new artistic thoughts, which later became the basis of Myanmar modern art. Originally apprenticed under a traditional painter, U Ba Nyan was the first Myanmar artist to have a formal art education that led him to graduate from England’s prestigious Royal College of Art in 1924 and consequently exhibiting his art in Europe as well as in Myanmar. With Yangon an important and thriving commercial capital under British rule, a vibrant patronage of art followed. Much of U Ba Nyan’s art provided the generic images for his students who studied under him at the University College of Yangon. The next generation of artists to continue the tradition included U Ba Zaw (1891-1943), U San Win (1904-1981) and U Khin Maung (1919-1999) who studied and exhibited abroad, as well as numerous noted artists like U Thein Han who studied exclusively under U Ba Nyan.

Myanmar announced its independence in January 1948 after more than 120 years of British colonial rule. The National Museum of Myanmar was established in Yangon in 1952 to profile the nation’s culture and showcase both traditional and contemporary art. In the meantime the domestic situation of newly independent Myanmar was plunged into disorder resulting from internal conflicts within the government and rebellion from ethnic minorities. This ultimately led to the establishment of a military government in April 1962. 

With Myanmar’s unique socialist cocktail of Marxism and Buddhism in place and its back turned to the global village, its artists were facing the new reality of an increasingly isolated society under economic and political pressure. Out of this contradiction, surprisingly art survived. Ironically, the Burma Art and Sculpture Council, subsequently renamed as the Artists and Artisans Organization in 1970, established Myanmar’s first private art gallery – the Lokanat Gallery in Yangon – in 1962 under the then military regime. It appeared that art was not framed by doctrinaire boundaries. Art institutions in Mandalay and Yangon flourished, as did the continuing master-student tradition.

Myanmar’s contemporary artists are a small and tightly knit group. Despite the absence of affluent collectors and the benevolence of the public sector, artists continue to train and exhibit their works largely in the cluster of private galleries in Yangon and Mandalay. While it may commonly be assumed that Myanmar’s art is insular, the art itself relates a different story. In Myanmar the realization of the traditional pictorial tradition clearly indicates that beauty in art need not necessarily relate to idealization -- beauty can be found in social realities. This reality has become the central issue in the discourse of Myanmar modernism. It is contained in its conservative societal values and moral connotations with honesty as more important than intellectualism in its formulation. This basis of art expression with its unique representation of “Eastern-ness” has been recognized in international art circles since the late 1980s when Myanmar artists started exhibiting abroad and, due to the economic boom of the decade that followed, flourished.

In 1997, Myanmar became a member of ASEAN. With this association emerged promises of a stronger economy and a new awakening for Myanmar contemporary art. The following year artists were accorded guest status at the prestigious Phillip Morris competition that showcases the best of mid-career ASEAN artists. When Myanmar won the award in 2001 [Aung Myint], the judges’ report commended the morality and lyricism of the winning work of art.

Myanmar contemporary art is enlightening and fresh. And the enthusiasm and tenacity of the artists are admirable. Although art has opened new directions for Myanmar, artists continue to be dedicated to traditional Buddhist principles -- to seek visible pleasure in the most common everyday situations while representing their beauty with Western sophistication.

Shireen Naziree
Art Historian and Independent Curator, Malaysia