AUNG KYAW HTETMYANMAR INSPIRATIONS
SHIREEN NAZIREE
Presented by CHUNG ANTIQUES & ART
Proud London-based partner of
Thavibu Gallery
www.chungantiques.com
Foreword by Jørn Middelborg 4
Acknowledgements by Aung Kyaw Htet 5
Myanmar - A Cultural Landscape 6
Aung Kyaw Htet - A Silent Journey 10
Rites and Rituals - The Art of Aung Kyaw Htet 16
Plates 27
AUNG KYAW HTET - MYANMAR INSPIRATIONS
Table of Contents
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Jørn MiddelborgThavibu Gallery
FOREWORD
Aung Kyaw Htet is a talented artist from Myanmar
[Burma] who has risen from a humble beginning to
become one of the country’s leading artists. He was
born in 1965 in Myaungmya in the Delta region
where the mighty Ayeyarwaddi River flows into
the Indian Ocean. It is a remote area with frequent
floods and very few roads where the vast majority
of the population in the area lives as rice farmers.
He made his way to Yangon and enrolled as a
student at the State School of Fine Arts since he
had an urge to be an artist. He is a devout Buddhist
and grew up in a small village — two factors which
have a strong influence on his art. His paintings of
religious life in Burma show monks and nuns in a
realistic manner, though non-essential objects are
omitted from the paintings in order to focus on the
religious aspects. Aung Kyaw Htet paints the faces
of monks and nuns in great detail to show their
humanity. His works are now found in the perma-
nent collections of museums such as the National
Art Gallery of Malaysia and the National Museum
of Myanmar.
I would like to express my sincere thanks to Shireen
Naziree, art historian and independent curator for
writing this book and thus bringing an important
part of Myanmar contemporary painting out to a
wider audience.
I would also like to thank the collectors who have
placed their paintings at our disposal for inclusion
in the book. They include, amongst others, Dung
Babet, Sandeep Bhammer, Philip Cheong, Ramon
Cierco, Charles Danforth, Sharon Day, Adrian
Dunn, Neil McGreevy, Einat Gross, Ernie Hill,
Mallika Khurana, Liang Xiaohong, Sudha Natrajan,
Herve d’Oriano, Alexa and Onno Poortier, Kristin
Rapan, Gary Rolfes, Manu Sabnani, Nitin Sibal,
Malvinder Singh, Richard Stowell, Sujjain Talwar,
Ziad Abu Zalaf, the National Museum of Myanmar,
and the National Art Gallery of Malaysia.
Finally, I would like to thank Dennis Kon who pro-
vided information on Buddhism and monkhood in
Myanmar and to James Christian for his editing
assistance and with help in finalizing the book.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
My career as an artist has been both modest and
ambitious. Modest because I aim to offer a brief
glimpse into the rich culture of Myanmar and
my Buddhist heritage. Ambitious, because I have
endeavored to relate these facts through my art
to a broader society beyond my own cultural
boundaries.
For this, I wish to thank my parents, U Lun Hlaing
and Daw Kyi who quietly encouraged me. My
teachers, U Thukha and U Aung Moe who instilled
in me the importance of discipline in art. Daw
Myint Myint Tin from the Yangon Art Gallery
and U Myint Soe from the Summit Art Gallery
who promoted my art. My special thanks to Jørn
Middelborg whom I met on the 10 September
2000 when my daughter Aye That Khaine was
born to me and my wife Kyu Kyu Khine whose
love and integrity continues to be my guiding light
and who blessed me with our son Khan Htet Thu
in September 2004. To Shireen Naziree, the author
of this book for her interest in my work, and to my
friends and family for their faith and friendship.
Aung Kyaw Htet, 2007
Aung Kyaw HtetYangon
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MYANMAR - A CULTURAL LANDSCAPE
Nestled between two of Asia’s most important
cultural nations - India and China at its northern
borders, Myanmar is a vast country that languorously
stretches south towards the Andaman Sea encom-
passing along the way a vast and diverse spectrum
of geography that has been enriched by a cultural
history that dates back to the prehistoric stone
age. This diverse and pictorial landscape that
possesses snow capped mountainous regions in
the North, verdant tropical jungles on its Eastern
borders with Thailand and a pristine coastline re-
mains dominated by the central Delta region - a
fertile farming land mass that is nourished by the
majestic Ayeyarwaddi River which forms the main
riverine artery of central Myanmar. The large scale
landscape of the Delta region is also the most
densely populated region of Myanmar, with many
villages so remote and undeveloped that the
Ayeyarwaddi remains its most important communi-
cation and transportation link with the commercial
capitals of Yangon and Mandalay.
Pivotal to the historical development of the cultural
landscape of Myanmar has been the influences of
Buddhism that has over the centuries manifested
itself into the social tapestry of the country.
The importance of Myanmar’s exceptionally rich Bud-
dhist historical landscape has been recognized from
as early as 6th Century BC when Buddha Gautama,
the last of the Buddhas visited Myanmar. Oral his-
tory however, suggests that earlier Buddhas might
also have visited the region at least a thousand
years earlier. One of the most significant events that
relate to Buddha Gautama’s visits to Myanmar is the
arrival of his hair relics, which were enshrined in a
stupa that was ultimately developed over the centu-
ries to become the renowned Shwedagon Pagoda,
which spectacularly reigns over Yangon and has
become one of Buddhism’s most iconic shrines in
Southeast Asia. Another event relates to Buddha’s
footprints near the town of Shwesettaw where thou-
sands of pilgrims visit annually during Myanmar’s dry
season when the footprints are most visible.
Thus the evolution of the Myanmar aesthetic is
testament to Buddhism’s influences and the accep-
tance of its tenets and philosophies through the
various dynasties that have defined the country’s
long and complex cultural and artistic history that
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finally collapsed under British Colonial rule in the
19th century. In this historical sense, the Pyu Dynasty
remains the most visible though earlier dynasties
reigned with equal importance. The Pyu Dynasty,
which primarily reigned in central Myanmar from
the 2nd century until the 10th century had clearly
imported aesthetic standards that originated
within Buddhism’s Indian origins: evidence of which
has been emphasized in the richly embellished
artifacts and architectural reliefs that have been
excavated from important archeological sites as
well as in the classical Pali script. Equally notable
in the cultural history of Myanmar have been the
influences of the coastal Rakhine and the Mon
Kingdoms, which principally reigned concurrently
with the Pyu Dynasty.
As much as Myanmar’s cultural aesthetic evolved
from Buddhism, the forces of socialization that
resulted from Buddhism remains one of its most
important legacies. Amongst the most recognized
is the tradition of novice monks and nuns entering
monastic life - a practice that dates back to the Pyu
Dynasty when it is said that children as young as
seven would don the regulatory cotton robes and
enter monastic life. This positive representation of
early Buddhism in Myanmar lies in the legacy of
the Sangha that refers to the body of monks who
accompanied Buddha Gautama on his journeys
and to whom monks in Myanmar directly trace
their spiritual ancestry. This tradition gave rise to a
defining identity, which further manifested itself
during the Bagan Dynasty in the 10th century.
The rise of the Bagan Dynasty resulted in a renais-
sance that marked a golden age of prosperity
both in political hegemony as well as cultural and
artistic wealth that were largely achieved through
the Buddhist faith. This paramount identity was
propounded by the rich architecture of the unend-
ing amount of temple complexes and pagodas
that were constructed: some of which survived the
ravages of time and continue to dot the landscape
around present day Bagan.
The rich architecture of the Bagan Dynasty, which
lasted until the 13th century, was embellished with
the vibrant skills of the many artisans who typi-
cally expressed their artistic philosophy through
depictions of the Jatakas - sagas of Buddha’s experi-
ences on his journey towards Enlightenment. The
Shwedagon Pagoda, 2007
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Baga
n, 2
007
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intrinsic beauty of this flourishing culture was
further elevated by other artistic forms, which
included the art of lacquer painting - initially intro-
duced by the Chinese, whose invading forces had
overthrown the earlier Pyu Dynasty. Lacquer was
used not only to embellish palace walls, but signifi-
cantly was adapted in the manufacture of everyday
utensils such as the alms bowls used by monks.
The artistic practice in the making of lacquer ware -
often embellished with imagery of the Jatakas
have become an important craft form that contin-
ues today and one that has prompted universal
interest. Today some of the developed world’s
most important museums have Myanmar lacquer
artifacts in their permanent collections.
From within this cultural background that contin-
ues to remain historically important to Myanmar’s
cultural landscape, emerged the following Pinya
and Inya eras when unique artistic sensibilities
developed that were emphasized by a cultural
reassessment of imported foreign influences China
and Thailand that imbued itself on the existing
Buddhist culture.
The last of the Myanmar Dynasties was the Kom-
baung Dynasty that was established in the mid 18th
century. This was an era renowned for its progres-
sive milieu that was symbolized with overt western
influences that included painting. The Kombaung
dynasty had established important cultural centers
such as Amarapura and Ratanabon where ornate
palaces and temple complexes imprinted their power
on the landscape. Though depictions of the Jatakas
continued to be an important expression in tradi-
tional art forms, court painters of the period started
to blend western styles with their own sensibilities
often resulting in secular portraiture of the reigning
nobility that was laced with surreal Edenic qualities.
This modernist cultural aesthetic was particularly
affirmed during the reign of Myanmar’s last mon-
arch, King Thibaw who was eventually deposed by
the British in the latter part of the 19th century.
British Colonial rule affirmed itself in the economic
wealth of Myanmar with little interest in the coun-
try’s cultural history. As a result Myanmar experienced
an abandonment in the arts which were ravaged
by the flourishing trade that characterized the
British rule, the spiritual aesthetic of Buddhism
survived and the close of British colonial rule in
1948 gave Myanmar every reason to be nostalgic
of their undeniably significant historical past.
Buddhism had transcended time and though its
elusive past is seemingly visible in the Myanmar
landscape, the country’s modern day artists and
craftsmen have once again turned to this spiritual
aesthetic for nourishment. In effect the artistic
aesthetic of Myanmar had renewed itself and in
turn the spirit of those who depended upon it for
their well being and remains a vital thread in its
artistic tapestry.
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AUNG KYAW HTET - A SILENT JOURNEY
The reverie associated with Buddhism has remained
a popular narrative in Myanmar’s artistic vocabulary
and its traditions have become the starting point
for a new generation of artists who are using the
language of contemporary art to layer their work
with meaning. For Aung Kyaw Htet - his produc-
tive life as an artist has been the result of a long
journey that has been sustained by his deep faith
that has its realizations buried deep with in Myan-
mar’s Buddhist history.
He was born in 1965 to U Tun Hlaing and Daw
Kyi in Kan Ywa, a small village located on the banks
of the Ayeyarwaddi river in the Delta region.
About 150 miles from Yangon, Kan Ywa - a village
with a population of about 300 people is typical
of the rural communities that dot the Delta, and
Aung Kyaw Htet’s early life was colored with hard-
ship and poverty. With very little material wealth
and like the majority of Myanmar’s population -
Aung Kyaw Htet mined the Buddhist environment
around him for spiritual wealth that ultimately
sustained him through hard times and would ulti-
mately become his muse.
The meager existence that his father, U Tun Hlaing
earned as a paddy farmer was hardly sufficient to
feed his nine children - of whom Aung Kyaw Htet
is the fifth son. As a child, Aung Kyaw Htet had
little opportunity to venture further than Kan Ywa
and as his parents’ lives were primarily devoted to
feeding the family - painting or any form of cultural
activity did not exist in his world. For many of
Myanmar’s rural population, art was conceived as a
luxury oasis for the privileged. Along with the other
children in Kan Ywa, Aung Kyaw Htet attended
the local school and left at 15 years old after
completing the eighth standard.
A quiet and modest personality, Aung Kyaw Htet
most often had to tend to his own needs as a
child. And despite the extreme poverty and hard-
ships - the young Aung Kyaw Htet survived on the
enduring spirit of his family, which he underlined
by moments of quiet beauty that he seeked out
from his physical environment. He enjoyed draw-
ing and with the absence of art materials - his
school slate board most often served as his
canvass. He recalls that his interest in drawing
started as a seven year old and like most children,
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he would draw from memory and the subconsc-
ious. Later improvisational sketches were often
images copied from magazines and book covers.
However these fleeting moments of pleasure were
purely playful explorations for its own sake as he
had no ambition or vision of becoming an artist.
For Aung Kyaw Htet, regular daily visits to the
local pagoda which were eclipsed by the devotion
and beliefs of Buddhism were part of life’s rituals
and like all young boys, he entered the obligatory
monkhood when he was ten years old. Living in
the monastery, he was subjected to the same
rituals and disciplines as the interant long term
monks observed that included leaving the temple
grounds to beg for alms, meditating and impor-
tantly studying the Dharma while obeying all
monastic precepts.
Though the foundations of his religious discipline
had already been laid several years before he en-
tered monkhood - the communion with his faith as
an overwhelming ancient culture was reinforced
through a tradition that dates back to as early as
the Pyu era when boys and girls at the age of
seven would become novices in monasteries and
nunneries. These days the ritual of an adolescent
boy entering monkhood is traditionally marked in
colorful ceremony meant to symbolize Buddha’s
abandonment of his life of luxury. Thus young boys
are dressed in glittering finery before his hair is
shaven off and he dons the monk’s robes.
Kan Ywa Village, 2007
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Though Aung Kyaw Htet’s formal education ended
when he left school at fifteen, he never abandoned
his early interest in drawing. A life of rigorous labor
defined Aung Kyaw Htet’s adolescence and ulti-
mately his view on life. As an youth in Kan Ywa, he
worked periodically at a variety of laboring jobs as
primary means to earn a living and help support his
family. He dug ditches, helped his family harvest in
the rice fields and eventually worked on a fishing
vessel that plied the Ayeyarwaddi River.
Following the lead of many of Myanmar’s poor
from the Delta, Aung Kyaw Htet decided to leave
his village on the long and arduous silent journey
in search of economic opportunity and a future.
In 1983, the seventeen year old Aung Kyaw Htet
left his family and followed his destiny to Yangon.
With very little money and with only the blessings
of his parents and an undying ambition to become
an artist - Aung Kyaw Htet embarked on a one and
a half day boat journey to Yangon. Knowing no
one in Yangon, it is hard to imagine what courage
it took for this young man to leave his family and to
question the traditional values of his environment
through his choice in life to chase his dream.
With continuing hardship in the passing years,
Aung Kyaw Htet’s life in Yangon was plagued by
numerous misfortunes that witnessed him having
to return to Kan Ywa on numerous occasions as
work was hard to come by and unknowing of the
rules of living rough on the streets of Yangon, he
was vulnerable to its perils. As his world grew
smaller and smaller, he was at times doubtful
whether he would survive life in the capital or ever
realize his desire to study art. Being poor, Aung
Kyaw Htet could only mine the traditional values
of Buddhism for spiritual wealth that continued to
sustain him through his hard times.
When not working at the bakery in Yangon where
he finally found employment, he devoted his time
to recording scenes of daily life on any scrap of
paper that he could find. By 1986 Aung Kyaw
Htet had saved sufficient money to finally start
realizing his dream of becoming an artist when he
enrolled for evening art classes at the State School
of Fine Arts located in Bahan Township near the
Shwedagon Pagoda. He attended classes at the
school for three years during which he studied
under U Kyaw Nyant and Mg Mg Taik.
Despite the difficulties that he continued to endure,
painting would become his quest for self awareness
and which, he believed, could only be expanded
through formal art training: the integration of art
and his social conscience would become the key
to unlocking the gate to his path in life. Studying
at the academy was most often literal transcrip-
tions of the rudiments of drawing and painting.
A meticulous student, he encountered a vastly
different environment to his past experiences.
Devoid of any personal expressions - he was requir-
ed instead to develop academic artistic skills that
paid homage to earlier masters and depictions
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of paintings that were sculpted in artistic styles
committed to traditional academic values and the
mainstream notions of art.
Academic training was based on copying and draw-
ing on a tightly rendered syllabus that resulted in
students becoming excellent technicians. The dis-
tinctive character of the academy’s teaching was in
preparing students to pursue possible careers in
industries such as traditional lacquer painting and
commercial advertising. He nevertheless benefited
from this first hand exposure to fine art although
he still did not have many opportunities to pursue
any artistic ambitions and despite his life of obscu-
rity in Yangon, he was determined that his art
would be a means to financial security.
Notwithstanding the importance of Mandalay as
the once renowned center for the arts of Myanmar,
Yangon had become the artistic home for many
painters by the second half of the twentieth
century. Galleries that supported the arts were
mushrooming and many artists formed collectives
or became members of these galleries. Nearly all
shared the common experience of training either
at the more prestigious Yangon State School of
Fine Arts where they were introduced to the
formal aspects of fine art. Or, many young painters
furthered their studies under the patronage of a
master painter - a practice that is reflected and
deeply rooted in the traditional art and crafts
practices of Myanmar. In effect, these apprentice
artists most often produced images absorbed from
the painterly styles of their teachers rather than
seeking creativity in individual expression.
Aung Kyaw Htet had neither the financial means
nor the interest to associate himself with any par-
ticular art collective, and a career as a full-time artist
would not manifest itself for a number of years.
After working in a variety of jobs that included
painting number plates for cars and painting bill-
boards, Aung Kyaw Htet secured work as a portrait
Padaung Girl, Charcoal on paper, 39 x 55 cm, 1993Collection of the National Museum, Myanmar
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artist in a gallery in the popular Bogyoke market in
downtown Yangon in 1990. Although most of the
gallery’s clientele were local, he came into contact
with people from diverse economic backgrounds
for the first time. Over the course of the following
three years, he would draw hundreds of portraits
either in charcoal or pencil and though he was
able to paint in his spare time, he had yet to settle
on his own distinctive style.
The three years that he worked as a portrait artist
were years of intensive work filled with enthusiasm
of hope for a better life as the young artist contin-
ued to struggle financially as well as to forge an
identity. But here in Yangon - nestling under the
shadows of the Shwedagon Pagoda, by far the
most important Buddhist site in Myanmar - Aung
Kyaw Htet remained the filial son more than ever
as his devout faith gave him the strength and sus-
taining philosophy to overcome hardship and pur-
sue his own creative goals without the expectation
of material reward despite being pushed to the
limits financially.
In 1993, Aung Kyaw Htet had a breakthrough when
Myanmar’s National Museum acquired one of his
drawings which were shown at a group exhibition
at the gallery of the Myanmar Traditional Artists
and Artisans Organization in Bogyoke Market. This
affirmation of his talent created a greater determi-
nation for him to succeed and he was beginning
to support not only himself but also his family back
in Kan Ywa through his paintings. Yangon was and
remains fertile ground for budding artists with the
regular art shows hosted at any of the numerous
galleries and international hotels.
And like many aspiring artists of the day, by 1994
Aung Kyaw Htet started exhibiting his paintings in
group exhibitions and started painting with oils.
These shows set the professional standards and
included many of Yangon’s best known painters
as well as up-and-coming younger artist. Aung
Kyaw Htet displayed his works in various venues
that included Gallery 77, the Summit Gallery and at
major Yangon hotels such as Traders Hotel and
the Nikko Hotel as well as the state run Myanmar
Traditional Artists and Artisans art gallery at the
Bogyoke market often having to sell his works at
very nominal prices mostly to foreign visitors and
Yangon’s expatriate community. Nevertheless these
sales sustained him as he believed that his prime
motivation for painting was for the sheer joy of it
rather than for financial gains.
1994 was also the year that he was able to relocate
his parents from Kan Ywa to live with him in
Yangon. This productive phase in Aung Kyaw Htet’s
life was made even more gratifying by his marri-
age in 1996 to Kyu Kyu Khine whom he had met
in Yangon in 1993. Working in a supermarket in
Yangon, Kyu Kyu helped to augment the modest
income Aung Kyaw Htet derived from the sales
of his paintings. Despite the couple’s meager but
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happy existence, they willingly supported both their
families. At times, Kyu Kyu became the model for
his paintings and though not an artist herself, she
supported his art through her profound apprecia-
tion of his talent.
By the end of the last millennium, Aung Kyaw Htet
was coming into his own as an artist and he be-
lieves that his prayers were answered when his
daughter, Aye That Khaine was born in September
of 2000 and the chaos in his life was being resolved
through the divine intervention. The day also impor-
tantly marked the start of his international career
as an artist.
Against this backdrop, Aung Kyaw Htet has emerged
as one of the most accomplished painters associated
with Myanmar contemporary art. By embracing the
values of Buddhism and valuing the rich cultural
heritage that it has bestowed on Myanmar, Aung
Kyaw Htet has nurtured his artistic identity that
will not deny him a place in Myanmar’s modern art
history. By 2002 he participated in his first group
overseas exhibition in Bangkok, Thailand and a solo
show in Hong Kong in 2004. His son, Khant Htet
Thu was born in that same year.
Subsequent international exposure that has in-
cluded exhibitions in Singapore and Taiwan. In
addition to Aung Kyaw Htet’s paintings becoming
part of important museum and private collections
and regardless of the optimism and admiration that
Aung Kyaw Htet in his studio, 2007
surrounds his art and the cosmopolitan sensibility
that it has imbued in his career, Aung Kyaw Htet
remains dedicated to his roots and continues to
create expressive paintings as testament to the
dignity and strength of his beliefs.
Aung Kyaw Htet lives in Yangon and regularly
returns to the village of his birth, Kan Ywa once
a year.
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RITES AND RITUALS - THE ART OF AUNG KYAW HTET
In the past decade Aung Kyaw Htet’s art has
addressed the meeting of his culture and personal
nature in the broadest sense. His work is a medita-
tion on his world and the space and things around
it that reflects a consciousness of the materiality
of Myanmar’s deeply rooted Buddhist culture.
Through his art, Aung Kyaw Htet has sought to
stimulate everyday experiences from the common-
place to the exceptional through the fluid status
with which he reconfigures ancient rituals across
time. What is perhaps most interesting is the
manner in which he positioned his work and
practice to reveal the beauty in the simplicity of
his world.
Depicting traditional Myanmar culture in contem-
porary art has almost become a tradition amongst
the country’s modern day painters. At a time when
the traditional boundaries between Myanmar and
the rest of the world are very blurred - the cultural
environment that has been created is challenging
in that it has become an important hallmark of
social wellbeing. Though tradition is a subject that
can be questioned, yet as a starting point it may be
explored as part of an exercise in self - definition
given the fluid and global environment where
technology has collapsed borders and physical
distances. And like in many Asian societies, western
secular culture and the conspicuous consumption
that most often goes along with, the liberal values
of western democracy are often viewed as alien
and decadent and more so in the traditionally con-
servative Myanmar society.
Despite mirroring the popular narrative of the basic
rituals and values that encompass Buddhism in
Myanmar, Aung Kyaw Htet has established for
himself a distinct paradigm that emphasizes his
very individual artistic grammar - for his is a practice
that endeavors to cross cultural boundaries. In
essence, his challenge has been to make art that
is highly personal as well as broadly meaningful
while addressing the experiences of the world he
lives in. In effect - what sets Aung Kyaw Htet’s
subjects apart is that his efforts are not superficial
or self-conscious efforts to showcase his heritage
and tradition as merely decorative art.
Aung Kyaw Htet’s work has also investigated the
potential to extend his subjects with an emotion
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that extends beyond being merely pictorial as his
practice takes on meaning in his now well - known
depiction of novice monks and nuns under the
relentless weight of the ritual practices of monastic
life. More than simply marking a pictorial turn, his
works that date back from the last decade are
consistently inherent in its representation. In oppo-
sition to contemporary taste for “story-pictures” -
complicated, detail laden based on literary sub-
jects, Aung Kyaw Htet has all his life been able to
observe life directly and render these subjects as
strong compositions.
Very much an individualist, Aung Kyaw Htet still
sees himself as an ordinary working man whose
occupation is the expression of life through paint-
ing, which is his passion: all other media within
which he has worked in the past were merely
means to make a living although these experiences
of rigorous labour have molded how he views
his life and art. This has allowed his work to be
sensitive and alive and also to develop his distinc-
tive style of painting that has resulted in art that is
richly detailed and self consciously beautiful and
that could ultimately converse independently in the
history of Myanmar contemporary art.
At first glance, the presence of the identifiably
Myanmar dimension is acutely visible in his work.
However upon closer viewing, it becomes clear
that Aung Kyaw Htet’s portraits and imagery are
suffused with a deeply felt understanding of Bud-
dhist values. His finely rendered portraits of both
family and strangers are monumental - not in the
size of the painting but rather in the scale of the
emotion of the moment. What is noticeably appar-
ent in almost all of his figures is a stillness - as if
they are at peace with the world - a condition that
he associates with the spirituality of Buddhism. The
meditative sense of calm that his paintings evoke
becomes for Aung Kyaw Htet a visual analogue
typical of his own personality and the cultural
environment that he has created in his world.
When Aung Kyaw Htet participated in his first
exhibition in 1991 his early works were all rendered
Young Nun, Mandalay, 2007
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 1 7
50-08-131_001-027 new7_W 4/4/12, 4:43 PM17
in charcoal, simply due to his limiting financial
condition at the time, nevertheless displaying his
masterly rendering of the discipline. One of the
earliest and most influential guideposts in his life
was his father, U Tun Hlaing whose own life was
devoid of material comfort but whose principles of
truth and honesty became a fundamental social
philosophy for his son.
When in 1994, Aung Kyaw Htet actively started
painting in oils - his family became willing subjects
for his picture making. A later painting of his father
simply titled My Father, 1998 (p.28) reveals an
intimacy that is suggestive of his own emotional
response to his father. This interpretation through
the compositional element is exemplified through
the element of light that highlights the influence
of humanity through the laboring hands of his
father. The painting provides a sense of under-
standing of Aung Kyaw Htet’s early life and place.
Painted from a similar mental vantage point, but
with a softer rendering is Mother, 2003 (p.50). Aung
Kyaw Htet portrays his mother, Daw Kyi bathed
with the same compositional element of light. In
both these paintings, his subjects are humanized
by the portrayal of the essence of his subjects: by
capturing them in thoughtful moments, Aung
Kyaw Htet has recorded intimate moments and
not merely the physical beauty of the scene.
Aung Kyaw Htet’s main subjects are people: for him
these figures have become symbols of mankind’s
presence to identify place in the physical world.
He has been able to observe the smallness of man
in the vastness of the all encompassing spiritual
which become the foundations of his luminist por-
traits - a subliminal spirituality created by the use of
light and compositional elements. In his youth,
Aung Kyaw Htet would observe nature over and
over again - at all times of day and absorb its inher-
ent beauty. Indeed, Myanmar is a land blessed with
an abundance of unspoiled beauty and although
Aung Kyaw Htet does not view himself as a land-
scapist, land and place has been an important key
to his self-definition.
Nuns, Mandalay, 2007
1 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
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Aung Kyaw Htet’s Mauyaw Lakee, 1999 (p.29) -
is a celebration of nature in its sublime detail.
He depicts creation with remarkable verism that
suggests that his landscape is Edenic. He strove to
capture the vast and transparent nature of the
scene and in doing so speaks of a divine presence.
The mood of the painting is serenely still and
through the careful arrangement of light and
composition, Aung Kyaw Htet has transformed
the mundane daily activity of villagers fishing into
a sweeping vision of dignity - spelling out the fact
that he has never required any palatial settings
to enhance his own dignity. However, as his figures
load their catch in the foreground of the composi-
tion - underscoring the significance of the human
endeavor, it calls attention to grander things. With
its regular geometry and quiet amplitude as the
water reflects the sky, Aung Kyaw Htet’s landscape
bespeaks solemn dignity.
In another landscape, Floating Market, 2001 (p.38)
set on Myanmar’s famed Inlay Lake in Shan State,
Aung Kyaw Htet exchanged the somber and
subtle intensity of his palette for a brighter one.
Though he continued to retain his love for the
elemental qualities of the daily rhythms - his early
experience as a poster artist is clearly evident in
his careful observations among the crowd of
market vendors. The small drama of activity and
the act of viewing becomes the unwritten impera-
tive of Aung Kyaw Htet’s landscape by inviting the
viewer to see along with his figures.
In the tradition of Theravada Buddhism that is
practiced in Myanmar, the basis and discipline of
the Sangha, the body of monks, have been defined
since as early as the Pyu era by their communal
living in monasteries that is supported by the lay
communities. The importance of the rituals such
as the collecting and giving of alms are deemed
significant to both the monks whose livelihoods
are sustained by donations: normally food on a daily
basis and gifts of robes and utensils on ceremonial
occasions. But importantly the donor gains merit
for offering the donation or gift - an important act
in advancing towards Nirvana or Enlightenment.
Despite the austerity associated with the practice
and the countless rituals that have been handed
down through the generations, the tradition that
once encompassed a history filled with ancient art
forms have now inspired a new aesthetic with
a different approach - the Western practice of
painting, which refers to Myanmar’s practice of
contemporary modern art.
Recent artistic scholarship in Myanmar has found
popular subject matter in the representation of
monkhood especially by the time Aung Kyaw Htet
actively adapted the subject to his own artistic
vocabulary by the late 1990’s when he discovered
a new level of freedom in his art. Since the start
of his career, he engaged his art with ordinary
people going about their everyday lives. For the
same reason he was drawn to painting monks as
part of the elements of his own being and culture.
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 1 9
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Aung Kyaw Htet had always been well aware of
the sameness of subject amongst Myanmar artists
whose interpretations are often defined from an
academic training that did not allow for much self-
expression, resulting often in visual appealing but
very literal translations.
Aung Kyaw Htet has held the point of view that
his art was to be rendered directly from the source
and never as a fabrication of design - thus needing
a direct connection with the monks and their
surroundings. He often recalls his own period
of monkhood when as a young boy he willingly
followed the rigorous rituals. Aung Kyaw Htet
savored the experience, for though he was given
a glimpse of monastic living, he was most appre-
ciative of the comfort of and warmth that was
espoused by the camaraderie of the monks despite
the conformity of rituals.
Over time as he gained a greater emotional inde-
pendent spirit, he was able to infuse his work with
this same emotional content that would become
the foundation of his own standing. More than
ever, he painted young monks and novice nuns
employed in the simplicity of ongoing daily routine
with a depth and authenticity that poignantly cap-
tures the abundant joy of childhood. In these mes-
sages that are impregnated with colour and rhythm
reflect the artist’s own happy reunion with his
youth - reflections of his inner self with the colour
and lines containing his character and message.
Aung Kyaw Htet’s world is that of the private and
emotionally intimate made public by such a cultur-
ally personalized imagery that issues of sentiment
are submerged. Traditionally in the oriental context,
sentiment is an area of nostalgia that is often
regarded as retarding towards creativity. In this
respect, Aung Kyaw Htet could be considered as a
traditionalist and though his art does not possess
the decorative luxuriance of traditional Buddhist
art - but in the same vein, he has created a move-
ment to himself. In his work, his poverty, labor,
traditions, and religion are words that can be used
to grasp his world vision .
2 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Novices, Bagan, 2007
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A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 2 1
With this objective as his motivation, his earlier
paintings of monks were aptly portrayed as part
of a cultural landscape through which he relives
a world of apparent innocence regardless of the
whirlwind of complex frictions of the present. It
inspired him to create a body of work such as
Offering Rice I, 2000 (p.31), and Shwe Inn Bin
Monastery, 2000 (p.30) wherein the common
grammar is defined by rituals and objects such
as the lacquer alms bowls and umbrellas and
homage is paid to the everyday rituals. By their
presence, these figures that orchestrate the can-
vasses are most often viewed literally but do initiate
a dialogue with the spectator.
Red and maroon are the traditional colors of
monks’ robes in Myanmar - hues that he often
uses to reinforce the symbolic significance of the
works. This is because, despite the originality of
the plastic organization of his art, which form part
of the personality and history of the Buddhist
culture, their effect is universally easily accessible
and their meaning readily understood.
In much of his earlier paintings, Aung Kyaw Htet
willingly followed the rigorous training guidelines
of the academic system of realist composition -
a predominantly European tradition of painting
introduced into Myanmar during the early twenti-
eth century when talented artists studied abroad
and introduced the academy into the Myanmar
modern art tradition. At The Monastery, 2002
(p.47) is detailed with icons of Myanmar’s cultural
architecture. However, his emotional spirit was
starting to chafe at the academic restrictions of his
art training: he started to pour out his emotions in
his work as in Three Monks, 2003 (p.49) where the
camaraderie amongst the young monks are vividly
expressed. Novice with Puppy, 2003 (p.51) is filled
with tenderness that highlights simple childhood
playfulness. For Aung Kyaw Htet this period was
one rich in experimentation.
He discovered a new freedom in his art, especially
in his ability to explore a variety of styles and
approaches. Certainly his rapport with his subjects
remained ever present - which he started to magnify
with a glowing palette as in Shaving, 2001 (p.33).
Familiar with luminosity of strong light, he would
at times illuminate his canvasses with an incandes-
cence of color that worked with direct mark
making as in Offering Rice II (p.32) was still not
deprived of transparency for at the same time he
could capture the brutal radiance of the tropical light
and the extreme softness of his subjects - a depic-
tion of his mother, Daw Kyi offering alms to a novice
monk - revealing the duality of love and hope.
Parallel to this chromatic harmony were the new
dimensions of his creativity. Within all his works there
are undoubtedly iconographic links to his Myanmar
Buddhist roots, but Aung Kyaw Htet’s work was
taking on a universality and humanism that would
be identifiable by most cultures. Under The Sun,
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2002 (p.40) and The Little Helper, 2007 (p.92) are
typical examples of his ability to capture and render
the elements of his culture in its reality. The symbolic
narrative of the young helper that would reappear
in later paintings is in keeping with everyday reality
of life in Myanmar’s Buddhist tradition.
Aung Kyaw Htet’s more recent scholarship has
focused on the robes of the monks. In ancient
Indian Buddhist fables, when autumn leaves were
shed from trees - their colors changing from yellow
and orange to brown - the season symbolized the
ending of physical existence. Thus yellow symbol-
ized the color of renunciation and as such remains
symbolic to the Sangha or monkhood, with the
elder senior monks most often draped in darker
maroon or ochre robes and the younger monks
donned in brighter hues. A monk’s robe consists
of three garments as is depicted in the painting
Two Novices In Red, 2006 (p.85): an inner waist-
coat, an upper robe and an outer robe that is a
two by three meter length of cotton fabric stitched
in a patchwork of a hundred pieces resembling
the layout of a rice field.
The monks robes - the history of which dates back
to the lifetime of Buddha Gautama himself has
nourished Aung Kyaw Htet’s creativity. The subject
has inspired him to create a new body of work
that has been reinforced through the narrative
function of the intense use of color that despite its
originality of composition remains an integral part
of his culture. The symbolic narrative that he has
created through the ethereal pictorial of paintings
such as in Draping The Robes, 2007 (p.89) as well
as in Monk In Yellow Robes, 2006 (p.88) though
it has become part of a poetic repertoire which
is in keeping with a world past and present, it is
in no way a flight from reality. Instead its unique
translucent qualities it represents his very inde-
pendence from a conformist genre of art for in
this visual poetry is the manifestation of an
ancient custom tinged with the mystic and divine
experience - calm and assured of itself.
Although it is evident that there has been definite
influences in Aung Kyaw Htet’s artistic journey - he
has remained independent and too elusive to be
categorized. Painting is a religion, a rite of passage
and a ritual to be followed everyday for Aung
Kyaw Htet. Each day brings to him a new lesson
and a new challenge to his palette and canvas.
While many might struggle to find beauty in mun-
dane things, he finds in them a spiritual connec-
tion because he does not allow himself to forget
the hardships of his earlier years.
Pursuing the life of a fine artist had been Aung
Kyaw Htet’s constant dream since he was a
young boy in Kan Ywa. The transition from a life
of poverty in rural Myanmar to an internationally
recognized artist has been a journey that was full
of uncertainty. He has achieved his goal through
his devotion and dedication to his beliefs and
2 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
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A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 2 3
Young NoviceDraping the Robes,
Bagan, 2007
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Youn
g M
onk,
Pen
cil o
n pa
per,
28 x
33
cm, 2
007
50-08-131_001-027 new7_W 4/4/12, 4:44 PM24
dreams and remains humble and grounded in the
face of this success.
Drawing
Though drawing was his primary form of expres-
sion early in his career, the medium still holds
a fascination for Aung Kyaw Htet for it allows
him to view his expressions with renewed vigor
that reminds him of the medium’s special rela-
tionship to the human psyche. And though the
immediacy of drawing is an essential part of his
creative process, he continues to find immense
pleasure in its informality. Aung Kyaw Htet devel-
oped an aptitude for drawing very early on in his
practice, which may account for his precise
rendering of his subjects.
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 2 5
50-08-131_001-027 new7_W 4/4/12, 4:44 PM25
Portraiture
Aung Kyaw Htet’s portraits of ordinary people are
filled with an emotional content that has become
the foundation of his standing. “Unless I have
some emotional connection to the subject, the
painting becomes empty for me - for the purpose
of picturing extends beyond the realistic render-
ing of the outer form.”
Landscape
“I feel a very strong connection with Myanmar’s
past. And in its landscape I feel the influence of
the hands of men, women and the generations
of labor that identify my own presence.” From this
path, Aung Kyaw Htet has been able to develop
a union that he expresses through a sparkling
palette where color and composition becomes
the actual essence of his paintings.
Monks
“The innocence and joy of childhood is a magic
spectacle that has been established in my visions.
The novice monks and nuns who are ever present
in my art represent indelible images of childhood -
they speak of life though the joy in their eyes and
the quiet voices in their hearts.”
2 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
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PLATES
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2 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
My Father, 1998, 75 x 89 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM28
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 2 9
Mauyaw Lake, 1999, 60 x 90 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM29
3 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Shwe Inn Bin Monastery, 2000, 76 x 91 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM30
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 3 1
Offering Rice I, 2000, 61 x 81 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM31
3 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Offering Rice II, 2001, 60 x 80 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM32
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 3 3
Shaving, 2001, 60 x 80 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM33
3 4 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Monk with a Joyous Smile, 2001, 75 x 59 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM34
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 3 5
Monk and Dove, 2001, 75 x 60 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM35
3 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Grandmother, 2001, 45 x 50 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM36
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 3 7
Ethnic Minority Girls, 2001, 60 x 80 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
50-08-131_28-37_new7_W 4/4/12, 5:11 PM37
3 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Floating Market, 2001, 75 x 90 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 3 9
In the Village, 2002, 60 x 90 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
4 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Under the Sun, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 4 1
Ascending, 2002, 60 x 80 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
4 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Praying Novices, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 4 3
Afternoon Prayer, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
4 4 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Morning Walk, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 4 5
Monk with Offering Bowl, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
4 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Burmese Beauty, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 4 7
At the Monastery, 2002, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private collection
4 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Praying Novices, 2003, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 4 9
Three Monks, 2003, 85 x 115 cm Oil on canvas Private collection
5 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Mother, 2003, 45 x 50 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 5 1
Novice with Puppy, 2003, 86 x 112 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
5 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Four Novices, 2003, 90 x 120 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 5 3
Young Novices II, 2003, 60 x 80 cm Oil on canvas Private collection
5 4 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Young Nuns Studying, 2003, 90 x 117 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 5 5
Young Nuns, 2003, 91 x 121 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
5 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Two Young Nuns Praying, 2003, 89 x 116 cm Oil on canvas Collection of the National Art Gallery, Malaysia
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 5 7
Monks on Side Car, 2003, 86 x 114 cm Oil on canvas Collection of the National Art Gallery, Malaysia
5 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Young Nun with Bowl, 2004, 58 x 73 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 5 9
Young Nuns at Shwe Inn Bin Monastery, 2004, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
6 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Nuns under the Sun, 2004, 85 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 6 1
Two Novices, 2004, 86 x 114 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
6 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Monks under the Sun, 2005, 114 x 150 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 6 3
Praying Nuns, 2005, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
6 4 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Five Nuns on a Morning Walk, 2005, 86 x 114 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 6 5
A Young Nun Under the Sun, 2005, 87 x 114 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
6 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Young Nuns in Pink Robes, 2005, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 6 7
Praying Under the Sweltering Sun, 2005, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
6 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Two Young Nuns, 2005, 85 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 6 9
Praying Nuns, 2005, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
7 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Praying Monks, 2005, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 7 1
Early Morning, 2005, 80 x 110 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
7 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Young Novices Reading, 2005, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 7 3
Early Breakfast, 2005, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
7 4 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Late Afternoon, 2005, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 7 5
Three Young Monks, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
7 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Young Boy Hitting the Gong, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 7 7
White Robes, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
7 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Monks with Fans, 2006, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 7 9
Hitting the Gong, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
8 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Enjoying A Break, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 8 1
My Old Neighbour, 2006, 61 x 81 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
8 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Three Young Nuns, 2006, 75 x 90 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 8 3
Two Young Monks in Red, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
8 4 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Novice in Red, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 8 5
Two Novices in Red, 2006, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
8 6 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Monks in Yellow Robes, 2006, 115 x 149 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 8 7
A Hot Day, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
8 8 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Monk in Yellow Robes, 2006, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 8 9
Draping the Robes, 2007, 84 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
9 0 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
Yellow Series (1), 2007, 75 x 122 cm Oil on canvas Private Collection
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 9 1
Yellow Series (3), 2007, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
9 2 A U N G K YAW H T E T M YA N M A R I N S P I R AT I O N S
The Little Helper, 2007, 86 x 113 cm Oil on canvas Thavibu Gallery
A U N G K Y A W H T E T M Y A N M A R I N S P I R A T I O N S 9 3
Monk’s Portrait, 2007, 28 x 30 cm Charcoal on paper Thavibu Gallery