TODAY

An art  exhibition took place at the Gallery 65, Yaw Minggyi street, Yangon on June 1 up to 15 where paintings by movie director and fine artist U Win Pe and gold embroidery artist U Sein Myint were displayed—a joint-show by the two men after a lapse of 40 years. TODAY presents the following interview with the two artists.

Name 

Win Pe

Born

Mandalay

Art Teacher

Shwe Pyi U Ba Tin, U Tun Nyunt, U Ba Thet, U Khin Maung

School

Mandalay University

1966 – 1973

Served as Headmaster of  Joint State High School in Htone Gyi, Mandalay.

 Principal of Mandalay State School of Art, Music and Dancing.

Other

Music, Film Making and Writing.

I’ve been abroad a long time. Saya Sein Myint and I are Mandalayans. We grew up as bosom buddies. About two months after my arrival in Mandalay he told me he wished to display our paintings together. About two months after that I got my paintings finished I’m happy to display them in this exhibition.

Is there any helpful relation between the job of a fine artist and that of a film director?

I make movies because I’m interested in painting, in drawing pictures; because I’m interested in music, in sounds; I’m interested in writing, in story – telling. All these combine to lead me into the movies. A  movie is a blend  contributing of all these things, each something or other to the other.

Your feeling while painting?

I feel joy. Whenever I wish to relax with freedom of thought and action, I would do some painting. Fine art affords you all that.

Difference between movie making and painting?

Painting in something you can do all alone. It needs relatively less effort. Film making is rather exhausting work. You only do it because you’re so much engrossed in it—a job that involves a lot of people, a lot of money, with you always on the go.

What’s your feeling about this exhibition?

I am happy. I did not expect that large number of people coming an the opening day. I thank them all. I wish they could have freedom of enjoyment of fine arts, freedom of thought, freedom of speech.

Any plan for the future?

I have a plan for an exhibition in Singapore in September. I have no plan to conduct any course of training in fine art.

Name

Sein Myint (Shwe Chi Doe)

Born

1945, Sagaing Hills in Upper Myanmar near Mandalay.

Art Teacher

Paw Oo Thet, U Win Pe, U Lu Tin, U Maung Maung (M.A), U Aye Myint  (Master of traditional Myanmar Design), U Win Maung (Tampawadi).

Awards

In 1987, his watercolor painting titled “ Irrawaddy River Scene “ won a prize at the International UNICEF Painting Competition.

In 1989 – 1990, his tapestry embodying traditional Myanmar art was selected to grace the walls of the main chamber of the United Nations in New York.

In 1994, he was awarded a prize for infusing folk art with creativity.

In 1995, he was appointed by the Government of the Union of Myanmar as an expert and consultant on tradition Myanmar folk arts.

In 1996, he was invited by the East-West Center in Hawaii, to hold an exhibit on traditional Myanmar tapestries and to lecture on the subject.

In 1996, he was invited to the UK by the program of cultural exchange together with Saya Gyi U Maung Maung Tin (M.A) & U Win Maung (Tampawadi).

Saya U Sein  Myint

You’re better known as a gold embroidery artist, but when did that part of your life as a painter start?

Painting  is the first thing I did as a young schoolboy. Then at university I exhibited my works along with those artists Ko Win Maung and Ko Paw Thein. That cover picture you might have seen of Takkatho Le Le was by me, in about 1968. That marked the beginning of my career as an artist. In 1985 I started doing gold embroidery. It’s a kind of team work unlike painting, and that made my name better known as a gold embroidery artist especially in 1990 when my was put on display at the UN.

You two, you and Saya U Win Pe, held an exhibition 40 years ago?

That’s  right. It was sponsored by Dr. Maung Maung Teik, a medical doctor, at the medical association building. Many  other artists, young and old, including U Win Pe and myself took part in it. That was, until now, the last event we two took part in. After a lapse of about 40  years, when I met U Win Pe in Mandalay, I sug-gested holding an exhibition of our paintings. He did take up the brush again, but I was so busy with gold embroidery that I could not turn out as many paintings as I had promised.

How did it feel to have Saya U Win Pe as your co-exhibitor?

I’m very happy. It gives we a chance to see and exhibit the works of Saya U Win Pe who was once my teacher and whose paintings have been away from us for so long. Here I must express my thanks to U Thet Paing Soe and “Gallery 65” owner Ko Min Lwin for making this event happen.

What are the differences between painting and the art of gold embroidery?

Painting is a lot wider in scope. Gold embroidery is something of a craft. It needs creativity on your part, but it’s limited. In gold embroidery we have to adhere to traditionally specified patterns for, say, elephants. You can’t use elephant patterns for the picture of a tiger.

Any plan to hand down your artistic skills to youngsters?

As long as I’m working as a painter or as a gold embroidery artist, I’m passing it on to youngsters, in a sense . I don’t run any fine art course as such, except a course in gold embroi-dery. I am myself not a student of any course whatever. I learnt it on my own, not  any formal course. So I could not be a teacher of art or professor of art. A working artist is what I am.

Translated by   Nyunt Thaung