The Culture Hub @ TRH will host the exhibition, “Icons of Courage”, at the Rotunda of The Round House, TRH Kandawgyi Lake Yangon.
This photographic documentary presents a distinctive perspective on the vanishing tradition of leg tattoos, proudly worn by Kayin men for centuries and deeply rooted in Myanmar’s tattoo heritage.
Before the British colonial era in the territory that now comprises the Union of Myanmar, it was customary for Bama, Shan, or Kayin men to permanently embellish their skin from the waist to below their knees with mythical or animal figures. A fully adorned set of tattoos symbolised not only manhood and courage but also conveyed almost supernatural strength and capabilities.
Leg tattoos were also a manifestation of devotion to Buddhism, with the “permanent” religious scriptures on the skin serving as a protective shield against malevolent forces. Individuals from all social classes, including laymen and aristocrats, embraced the practice of leg tattooing.
A young man without a tattoo was considered unattractive to the opposite sex, and parents ensured that their prospective sons-in-law bore ancestral symbols of courage and devotion on their legs and thighs. The intricate process of tattooing, performed by skilled masters, could take up to seven hours to complete one leg, from the waist to below the kneecaps.
With the official colonisation of Burma by the British in 1886, the tradition of leg tattooing began to wane, eventually being suppressed by the colonial administration. By the time the country gained independence in 1948, the practice had ceased to exist.
Today, the “youngest” Kayin men still carrying these traditional marks are well over 80 years old, embodying the “Icons of Courage” and the last true men “still standing”. Join the event on 27 January at 4 pm for the opening talk with the author Jens Uwe. Free entry!
The Round House, Opposite Eye Special Hospital, Kandawgyi Park, Natmauk Street, Yangon
