BUFFALO CARTS, Buddhist monks in burnt orange robes carrying saffron paper umbrellas, and evocative landscapes of a country frozen in time have long been the staple of Myanmese art.
Photo-realist figures of monks, nuns and novices by Min Wae Aung, one of Myanmar's most celebrated contemporary artists - along with impressionist master U Lun Gywe - have captured the interest of collectors around the world in recent years with their modern twist on a traditional subject.
But the opening of the country to the outside world - however small - is leading to a cultural exchange that's clearly benefiting the local artistic community. As evident in a recent exhibition at the Art Seasons Gallery in Singapore, some contemporary artists are cautiously dabbling in socially engaging work, while others are giving a more contemporary touch to time-honoured tradition.
'While Buddhist imagery remains prevalent in many artworks, rather than a realism approach, the artists fuse the traditional image with contemporary concepts, representing more of the societal context than the usual picturesque landscape sceneries,' says the gallery's Germain Wong.
Long isolated from the world, Myanmese artists still mostly reflect traditional values and ways of life, as depicted in rural village life scenes and pagodas. With art education concentrating on the system of apprenticeship and the study of old masters, the emphasis on technique, as with Vietnamese artists, is also strong.
Since the government eased travel restrictions in 1990, a handful of Myanmese artists have travelled, studied and exhibited abroad, while international artists have participated in residency programmes, such as those organised by Nica (Networking and Initiatives for Culture and the Arts), an independent non-profit group set up in March 2003 by two international artists to address the lack of contact between their colleagues.
