G A L L E R Y

E X H I B I T I O N S :

S O L O S H O W

P H Y O E K Y I : T H E O T H E R S I D E

5 A P R I L 2 0 1 4 ~ 2 5 M A Y 2 0 1 4

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

/

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

/

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

/

L W I N O O M A U N G

P A I N T I N G

/

M A Y P H U E T H E T

I N S T A L L A T I O N

/

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

/

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.