Kyi Wynn, an artist from Myanmar has had his artworks exhibited number of times overseas.
In fact, this is not his first appearance in Singapore.
He has already been featured in Art Season in 2005, as part of Myanmar Modern Group Exhibition.

This time around in Showcase 2010, we feature some of his newer works. Of French President Sarkozy, and USA President Obama, as well as combination of two distinctive Dutch artists; Vincent van Gogh and Piet Mondrian.
 As well as his previous works, he's artworks are composed of juxtaposition of modern society elements.  The composition of elements do not appeal strongly as one wouldn't perceive the artist's opinion straight away, hence it is observably possible; the interpretation and, how one connects such elements are left up to viewers. However one thing that is clear is that viewer can see the calmness in the artworks as artist's wish for peace.
Compared to many of western or even some eastern contemporary artworks that speaks out loud against society, Kyi Wynn's artworks are not very aggressive as such.  However, given the fact that art contexts are somehow oppressed in Myanmar, that buyers actually do go visit artist personally to purchase the artworks, because they cannot be exhibited in public places that grants access to everyone, and possibly could influence in any way, one can clearly see that Kyi Wynn subtly speaks out through his works.

  Exhibitions:

1989       Started Exhibition

1994       Rectangular Lantern painting Show (2), Medical Association Centre in Mandalay

1994       Modern Art Show, Judson Hall in Yangon

1996       Modern Art Exhibition, Yangon

1997   Lakanat Annual Show, Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

1998   “ 27-W” SOLO EXHIBITION, IVY GALLARY IN YANGON 

2000   New Year Exhibition, Ava Hotel Mandalay

2001   Meridian Painting Show, Summit Parkview in Yangon

2001   New Zero Art Exhibition (1) Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

2002   New Zero Art Exhibition (2) Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

2003   Installation & Painting (International Symposium & Workshop) Beikthano Gallery in Yangon

2004   New Zero Art Exhibition (3) Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

2005   New Zero Art Exhibition (4) Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

2006   New Zero Art Exhibition (5) Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

2006   Art & Artist Association Group Exhibition Kuthodaw Gallery in Mandalay

2006   METERALISATION SOLO EXHIBITION IN ALLIANCE FRANCAISE DE RANGOON

           FRANCE CENTRE, YANGON

2007       5 Synthetic Group Exhibition, Panthu Sandar Gallery in Mandalay

2007       ALLIANCE FRANCAISE CONCEPTION,FRANCE CENTER AWARDS Of EXCALLENCE 

From ALLIANCE DE RANGOON (YANGON)

2007    Burmese-American Art Exchange ( USIS) American Centre in Yangon

2008    Donation Art Group Show for Cyclone Nargis, Panthu Sandar Gallery in Mandalay

2008    Donation Art Group Show for Cyclone Nargis, Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

2008    Myanmar Contemporary Art “Spirit” Group Exhibition, Beikthano Gallery in Yangon

2009    Asean Contemporary Art Exchange Thamada Hotel in Yangon

2009    Green Heart Environmental Exhibition, Man Myanmar Hotel in Mandalay

2009    Relay Group Exhibition, Lakanat Gallery in Yangon

 

 

Oversea Exhibition:

 

2003       Yaddo Art Grup Exhibition (A group exhibition by four artists from Myanmar) in Singapore

2005       Myanmar Modern Group Exhibition, Art Season Gallery in Singapore

2006       Gold Leaf Myanmar Contemporary Art from Myanmar 2006, the Dahara Dhevi Gallery Kad

                Dahara Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai, Thailand

2008    Lahonas,Drome provençale,  15-june-08 to 15-august-08,Exhibition Paris

2008    The Art Miles Mural Project    12-Dec -2008 Trocadero, Paris

2009   “WE ARE BURMA” Group Exhibition,

                   June 4th to July 4th 2009, Leila Gallery, Cafe Leila,Bertley, California, USA.

Chinese New Year is getting close now and we're juggling paintings to be stretched nicely on stretcher for the show end of this month.
As much as it's a bit of hustle getting slightly dusty in the gallery, it is quite exciting seeing the artworks displayed to be stretched.
We also acquired new artworks from our beloved artist Andre Tan, the free spirited artist with lovely paintings, also one of our Proxies from previous exhibition.
His three new artworks are actually on the wall in our gallery so if you happen to drop by and see us shuffling busily on our feet trying to organize the gallery, you won't be disappointed.
You'll get to see these new artworks, as well as another Proxies' - Safaruddin - artwork from previous exhibition.

Prior to the exhibition, we were spinning quite busy with all the preps, including visiting the artist's studio to check out their new works. 
Well, we took on the lovely opportunity to throw some questions about their artworks...;

The questions were;
1. What is pop art to you. Do you consider yourself an pop artist?
2. How do you choose your theme? Why? How did it start?
3. What is your personal interest?
4. What is artmaking to you?
5. What do you find inspiring?
6. What are you trying to transpire from the current collection?

(The answer by each artists given are written in rather frank manners but that does not mean that they are blunt, it is just the writing.)

Safaruddin:

1. What is pop art to you. Do you consider yourself an pop artist?

No, not really pop art, no specific genre..  Pop art, to me is a mere inspiration I go through.  I still do get inspired by pop art, graphic arts and such.
People ask me if I'm a pop artist, if I say no, then they ask why why why why? Then I'd say yes, but that's it. I like graphic art, because there's no such thing as traditional digital arts.

2. How do you choose your theme? Why? How did it start?

My works have always been of nostalgia, about places, buildings, popular icons, things I grew up with.  It actually started from when I was in school.  It's about little sense of displacement.  Singapore is not a big place, but despite the size, it's always changing.  Not just the people, but physical landscape as well. I'm interested in such objects.

3. What is your personal interest? 

I'm interested in things that makes me happy. My artwork is archiving, and documentation of my happy times.  The things I like about pop art is that prior to that the access to art was limited.  But when pop art came along into the scene, it granted access to art for everyone.

4.  What is artmaking to you? 

Making happy factor, and working on passion and living.

5. What are you trying to transpire from the current collection?

To deliver the happiness, and to make artwork that triggers viewer's older memory.  Building as a theme, is like pimping them, giving them a make over.. The look of the place that I've never been there before but feels that it changed a lot over the time, doesn't seem like it's there anymore. It's like trying to immortalize the moment.

Then, moving on to Andre:

1. What is pop art to you. Do you consider yourself an pop artist?

Contemporary artist, rather than pop art.  Because pop art is influenced by popular culture.  Pop art is something I come across with before he transpire into the own artworks.

2. How do you choose your theme? Why? How did it start?

It's something I like.  The hero paintings of putting historical figure against fictional cartoon character is my creation of new platform.  How you see the relations between these characters, are up to you.

Is Mao a hero to you?

It is not up to me to tell whether he's a hero or not, it's something I kind of grew up with, just his historical figure. I think Ghandi is a hero though.

3.  Personal Interest?

Well, not sure.  Painting, I suppose.
Whatever I'm interested in, I start working on it, and the outcome is product is always the paintings.

4. What do you find inspiring?

Warhol, cultural magazine, music, movie.  Like cover of music CD and records.
It's how you take the elements off the visual images and work into your own painting.

5. What are you trying to transpire from the current collection?

Not sure!
Process of questioning...idealization of idea...
Will definitely be asking audiences the definition of hero? Who's your hero? What do you idolize?

Well, that is quite nice insight into artists' works.
How you connect artist' saying with actual artworks is up to you.. :)

If you have noticed during "The Bridges of Nature" exhibition, we had few books about the artist; I Nyoman Sujana Kenyem.

One is his biography and another is catalog from his previous exhibition in Indonesia.

These publications are now available for purchase in the gallery.  Of course they will be both available for you to flick through the pages at our upcoming opening reception, but if you're interested in purchasing please let us know.
*Prices are to be advised

Biography written by I Wayan Suwardika.
It is written both in Bahasa and English.

Catalog