Today, the beautiful Gallery 65 opened its doors to invite art lovers and collectors, everyone to feast their eyes – or maybe cop a few pieces – on a collection of paintings that were beautifully painted by the likes of Aye Nyein Myint, Ma Charm, Moe Nyo, Sandar Khaing, Shwe Sin Aye, Tin Aung Htaik, Win Myint Moe, and many more. The gallery plans to showcase the artists’ latest work in their new exhibition, Monsoon Melodies. Ironically, it was also drizzling when I went there.
There are a plethora of paintings with all sorts of themes running through the place. From photorealistic still-life applies to depictions of a very rustic Bagan, there was nothing too shocking or thought-provoking – after all, they’re trying to sell these paintings.
Although some paintings delivered a minute sense of shock value, for example, Sandar Khaing’s The Naked Truth series consisted of nude plus-sized women turning their back from the visitor. While not explicitly jaw-dropping like Lucian Freud’s Fat Sue, its motif – per my ‘intuition’ – may be similar. Freud did not flatter and showed every inch of the truth of his subjects, with most of his paintings regarded as ‘remorselessly ugly.’
However, Sandar’s indirect tribute to Freud was a subtle one; not only did she make it a whole new concept with the fundamentals still in place, but she also grasped a proper use of anatomy for her subjects arms, necks and curvatures. In colour, the skin complexion of the lady has a sickly yellow – which I think is intentional – while the background varies from a dark murky yellow to a bright sophisticated peacock pink.
Another painting worth analyzing was Moe Nyo’s Poetic Poem – 3. Personally, I’ve always had difficulty looking at watercolour. Oddly, Poetic Poem -3 was one of the few watercolour works that possess unusual ‘peculiarity’ in colour, composition and the focal point. Moe Nyo paints a religious landscape, while at the same time, bringing my attention to the old, decaying tree – which he has painted remarkably well. It was a nice change of pace from all the exhausting Pagodas, landscapes and ethnic people. Poetic Poem – 3 was something different.
Overall, I do think this was a great exhibition and has a very welcoming aura as well. The accompanying soundtrack of the Burmese xylophone was very soothing and calmed my nerves as I browse through the many paintings. There are more works by most talented artists at Gallery 65; the show goes on until the 30th of September, so you’ll have plenty of time to check it out!
Monsoon Melodies is being held at Gallery 65 from the 6th to the 30th of September.
Address: No.65 Yaw Min Gyi Street, Dagon Tsp., Yangon
Tel: 01 246 317
