Traditional painting makes a comeback

With the revival of interest in modern art in Myanmar, traditional painting – an age-old national obsession characterised by the generous use of lines, curves and circles – seems to have lost its glory. But a group of leading artists is coming to its rescue with “Myanmar Traditional Art,” a recent exhibition of traditional paintings held for the first time by the Myanmar Artists Organisation Central (MAOC).
On display at the MAOC gallery in Yangon’s Bogyoke Market were 60 masterpieces created by 40 well-known artists. These paintings encapsulated a diverse range of themes: from the richness of folk culture and Buddhism to the mundane sameness of the daily grind. There was a puppet-playing girl, a hackney carriage and a group of men carrying Padaythabin trees as part of a Kathina procession entertained by a traditional ensemble. Attracting lots of attention was a painting of three longyi-clad ladies plucking gourds in the garden with a scattering of bamboo-woven baskets laden with tomatoes, pumpkins and pineapples.
These masterpieces averaged between US$100 (Bt3,300) and $ 1,500. Most buyers were local art collectors with a sprinkling of foreigners.
 “Artists don’t create art for money but for art’s sake. We have plans to stage this exhibition annually in a bid to safeguard the country’s artistic heritage,” said Phyu Win, who has been painting for the last five decades. “We want to promote traditional art through this exhibition so that it attracts the attention of not just the locals, but foreigners as well. Without foreign support, it’s hard for traditional art to survive in the long run.”
Myanmar boasts a long and storied history of traditional art, which is divided into 10 branches, known as the “10 pan (Myanmar for “flower”) of traditional art.” These are Pan-be (ironwork), Pan-bu (sculpture), Pan-tain (gold and silver art), Pan-tin (bronze casting), Pan-taut (masonry with a floral motif), Pan-tamault (stone carving), Pan-poot (woodwork), Pan-chi (painting) and Pan-yun (lacquerwork).
Four main motifs permeate Myanmar’s traditional art: Kanote (lotus flowers popular in Buddhist architecture and palaces), Nayee (women, princesses and mythical characters), Kapee (monkey, monkey head, ogress head, duck and lion) Keinnaye and Keinnaya (half-bird, half-human lovers and celestial musicians) and Kazar (elephants).
The 10 disciplines of traditional art were originally cultivated by the Pyu, the ancestors of the Myanmar people highly regarded by the ancient Chinese as a gentle and civilised people with a rich culture.
The Pyu founded many city-states, including Hanlin, Tagaung, Beikthano and Sri Ksetra.
“We’ve unearthed antiques like images and coins made during the Pyu era. The reign of King Anawrahta marked the golden age of Myanmar’s traditional art, thanks to his economic and social reforms. The glory of traditional art is still well reflected in the plethora of stupas, pagodas and temples in Bagan,” said artist Sar Nwe.