HOUSE OF THE WEEK
A Golden Valley white out
UNBEKNOWST to Myanmar’s diligent meteorological department, an extremely localised snowstorm has carpeted the interior of this two-storey Golden Valley house. moreArt exhibition highlights female artists
(Volume 26, No. 506)
THE Myanmar National Museum hosted an exhibition consisting of art works by 58 women between January 10-13. The “Blue Wind” exhibition included paintings, installation art and clay sculpture.
“We wanted to reveal the feelings of old artists who had painted, adults who are still painting and the young who are eager to paint.” said Daw Phyu Mon, artist and organiser of the exhibition, which includes over 110 paintings.
“I exhibited two sand paints: Bagan 1 and 2, which express the shade on a wall of a pagoda,” said artist Ma Sanda Khing. “I have painted sand pictures for ten years. When I touched the wall of a pagoda in Bagan, I liked the feeling and wanted to recreate the wall using paint.” The sand used in her paintings is from the Ayeyarwady river and is secured using enamel paint which acts like a glue.
On a dry thorn tree hang colourful dry sponge gourds attached by threads. On other branches hang apples and grapes. The installation piece is called “Life” and was created by Mocha.
“When I went to the Ayeyarwady delta after [Cyclone] Nargis, I saw many dead bodies, both young and old. I came to realise that nothing is permanent,” said the artist.
Artist Daw New New Yee, who at 71 years old was the oldest artist to participate in the exhibition stressed the importance of art for women.
“For Myanmar women, they are so busy with household chores yet they have a feeling for the arts, with arts being their mind’s exit.”
