Technique and medium: Oil on canvas

What is the reason behind U Lun Gwye’s acclaim in Burma?
U Lun Gwye is probably among the last of his generation of artists in Southeast Asia and also one of the very few who had part of their art training abroad. He has served the Burmese art community as an art educator, a private art tutor whereby younger painters “apprentice” themselves to his art practice in order to study his style of painting as well as his artistic discipline. His painting practice has been given recognition by premier art institutions in Southeast Asia and his works are in some very notable public and private collections. These are among the factors that have earned him the recognition as a “master painter.”

What do you think his work says about Burmese women?
Painting is regarded as visual documentation. U Lun Gwye’s artistic renderings regard the beauty of Burmese women as one that extends beyond the physical. He often portrays village women executing everyday duties and rituals and through these he is able to see beyond the surface. Through his vibrant colors he relates the joyous nature of women and the sense of camaraderie amongst women.

How does he see Burmese women?
I believe that U Lun Gwye recognizes that beauty is universal, but of course, culturally he has studied the psyche of Burmese women, who in his work are often demure, feminine—yet they have an inner strength. In the history of Burma, there have been very powerful queens and courtesans.

What would you say about this painting, Nymph on the Rocks?
U Lun Gywe is an articulate landscapist and it is not unusual for him to set the figurative within the landscape. In many of his paintings, water is prominent and water has very powerful connotations. Here, he portrays a female figure almost like a water nymph—mysterious and sensuous.

Does he favor the work of any artists in particular?
As a young artist, U Lun Gywe, like many painters, studied the works of the European Impressionist painters and though he has often spoken of his experiences when he studied in East Germany about his experiences viewing such works first hand, he has never indicated any preferences to any particular Western artists. However he has and continues to pay homage to U Thein Han, his mentor who became an important guidepost in his career and his life.

What’s the art scene like in Burma?
The art scene in Yangon is a very active and evolving one and, today, there are many disciplines of visual art to be seen.