Sawangwongse Yawnghwe is a Burmese painter who works with oils on linen, tenderly crafting intimate depictions of political moments within his nation’s history and present day. His family was exiled from Burma, modern day Myanmar, following the military coup of 1962. The artist now lives and works in the Netherlands. Throughout his life, Yawnghwe has collected photographs, portraits, archival images and newspaper clippings about Burma which he now uses as source material for his paintings. In muted, soft palettes the artist depicts images of traditionally dressed soldiers, family portraits, military parades, or vistas of landscapes untouched before war, all making space for a more personal read of his native country’s past and possible future. The artist cites his adoration for Miriam Cahn, which is seen through his gradual contours and hazy silhouettes. Yawnghwe also takes inspiration from modernist painters such as Barnett-Newman by incorporating bolder sections of colour. Patches of lavender or sunny yellow may sit in contrast with the more mellow, diluted oils used to render the initial image onto canvas. The resulting works are deeply impassioned and sensitive, they create space to mourn Burma’s tumultuous history and resemble this national turmoil on a personal scale, while remaining hopeful for potential resolutions.
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