Karin Weber Gallery shows “Turban Kids? by Maung Aw

Wednesday, 11 July 2007 00:14

Hong Kong - Opening on Thursday 6^th September 2007, Karin Weber Gallery will be exhibiting new works by Maung Aw from Yangon, Burma. The show runs until 21^st September 2007 and highlights the artist’s exceptional color palettes and versatility to portray new and fresh subjects.

“Turban Kids” is a new series introduced by the artist to represent the beauty in ordinary children. These children are from Pa-O tribe and are seen as both the innocence that Burma does not possess: “the kids are innocents. They are adorable in whatever mood” said Maung Aw; and the color that Burma exudes in abundance. The Artist explained that he “met a kid at a ritual procession wearing her national dress. Very lovely. That is the source of my inspiration.”

“Maung Aw is a painter who captures light with the tip of his brush and freezes movement within the boundaries of his canvases. He sets aggressive colors against one another and somehow they meet in peace. In his hands, the tropical hues and glaring sunlight reflect tranquility rather than unease.” Ma Thanegi.

Working under the late Grand Master of arts U Thein Han, Maung Aw found freedom to step away from the accepted form of realism into one uniquely his own. His eagerness to explore the qualities of colors became slowly apparent in his works when his landscapes pulse with life, flower petals tremble as if falling and human figures appear as if they would walk out of the canvas at any moment. Maung Aw went on to explain “I do paintings in a simple way, minimizing the colors and shapes. According to my (visual) experience, the simple way is more effective.”

For more than a decade, his paintings have shone with colors that are typically Maung Aw’s. The luminosity of his palette captures the tropical sunlight and its essence remains in his paintings. Not surprisingly, they have caught the attention of the international art collectors, who eagerly sought out his works at exhibitions abroad and at home.

Currently living in Yangon, Maung Aw has been exhibiting since the 1970s in many annual shows in Yangon and since 1990 has participated with great success in exhibitions internationally. He stands as one of the most sought-after painters from the newly emerging Myanmar art world, a star in his own right, in his own light.

Visit Karin Weber Gallery - Ground Floor | 20 Aberdeen Street | Central | Hong Kong - www.karinwebergallery.com/