Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
gon municipality as heritage buildings, but this list has no legal binding and falls far
short of the 2500 sites campaigners say should be afforded protection.
At the forefront of contemporary architecture in Myanmar are the husband-and-wife
team of Stephen Zawmoe Shwe and Amelie Chai, partners in SPINE Architects
(
www.spinearchitects.com
). Most of their work, which includes residential and commer-
cial projects, can be seen in Yangon - the Yuzana Tea Shop on Na Wa Day St and the
Union Bar & Grill are good examples of their style. They also designed the Amata Re-
sort & Spa in Ngapali and the Bay of Bengal Resort at Ngwe Saung Beach.
Old Myanmar Paintings in the Collection of U Win
is one of the illustrated publications of
the Thavibu Gallery (
www.thavibu.com
)
specialising in Burmese art.
Sculpture & Painting
Early Myanmar art was always a part of the religious architecture - paints were for the
walls of temples, sculpture to be placed inside them. Many pieces, formerly in paya or
kyaung,
have been sold or stolen and, unfortunately, you'll easily find more Myanmar re-
ligious sculpture for sale or on display overseas than in Myanmar.
In the aftermath of the 1988 demonstrations, the government forbade 'selfish' or 'mad
art' that didn't have clear pro-government themes. One artist, Sitt Nyein Aye, spent two
months in custody for sketching the ruins of the former student union, which Ne Win had
blown up in 1962. Subsequently many artists chose to play safe with predictable tourist-
oriented works.
Censorship of art exhibitions has dropped off significantly since 2010, allowing artists
more freedom of expression and a mini-boom of galleries in Yangon. Myanmar artists
are now attracting global attention. The couple Wah Nu and Tun Win Aung, who create
paintings, video art and installations based on their memories of growing up under the
socialist-military regime, have been written about in the
New York Times
and had their
work purchased by the Guggenheim Museum. Nge Lay and Po Po represented Myanmar
at the 2014 Singapore Biennale with pieces about education and spirituality.
Yangon-based art researcher Nathalie Johnson has created the website Myanmar
Evolution (
www.myanmartevolution.com
) to support the growth of contemporary arts in
the country
