TODAY

As I’ve always dreamt of being an artist who creates artworks, I learnt not only from my teachers, but also via YouTube. Doing these kinds allow me to believe in my own self and give me great inspiration, said Arkar Kyaw.

Milestones in your career from being a graffiti artist to this current art show
It’s not that I started out with graffiti and then switched over to painting and drawing. There’re varieties of art such as graffiti, street art, etc. all based on the art of drawing and painting and that’s been something I’ve been doing and studying all along since my childhood. Since my childhood I’ve had a desire to do a solo slow of my artworks. But as things did not turn out the way I wished, I began to create some forms of street art, and that brought me back to this world of art.

Working experience such as working with other organization or group or is it only the street art that you spend all your time with?
Long before I could make a name for myself – for example, before I drew the picture of Obama- I’d done a lot of drawings for competition at school, also sharing my skills with primary school children. Later, as my name became well known, I began to work with some NGOs. I did it all alone until I received a lot of support from my brothers. The current exhibition is the kind of solo show I’ve dreamt of since I was about 18 years old, which, however, failed to materialize until now. It took about 5 years, from 2012 to 2017 to make it all happen. I’ve got quite a lot of experience, social and educational, that made for the successful holding of this event.

About your teachers who inspired you during the course of your lifelong learning and also what they taught you
I’d learnt from many teachers and those from whose works I learnt through their artworks. During my childhood, it was my father who taught me. After his dealth, I read books such as those by Saya Aung Myat Htay. I learnt the art of water- colour painting too. Later I got real inspiration from such masters as Min Wei Aung, Nay Myo Say and Win Pe Myint. They are my idols, my icons.

In this age of technology, are there things artists can learn with the aid of technology?
You need not take the trouble of going far and wide for that. These days everybody’s got a smartphone that can be used profitably. In our young days we could not afford a handphone. I had myself have to go to a computer shop every night, where I learnt whatever I wanted to know on YouTube, doing it on credit.

Can anyone in Myanmar earn a name for oneself to be well known to the rest of the world by using the social media?
Of course, anyone can. The name I’ve made for myself is attributable to the social media. I uploaded a drawing by me on Facebook. That went viral and got mentioned world-wide.

Where are you now doing your graffiti?
We’re taking part in wall painting in the alley of the 39th street, Yangon.

Something about the current show regarding how you made preparations for that
Formerly I spent all the time drawing pictures of houses, cars, people, dogs, etc. But after some years, I began to do some fish breeding. I found Luckie fish very attractive, especially its lifestyle and swimming style. I photographed its lovely behavior and drew pictures of it based on those photos.

What’s you line of art
A would-be artist should study all there is to study about art. I’ve done that already, including modern art. I draw things impossible-for example, pictures of fishes that never swim in real life. I uploaded my works on River Gallery Website, but no personal blog yet.