Myanmar Artists | Myint Swe

Myint Swe (1956-2019) was born in Taungoke, Rakhine State, Myanmar. He studied at the State School of Fine Arts between 1975 and 1977 and later studied painting under S Tin Shwe for twenty years. He also studied under U Lun Gywe, one of Myanmar's most noted modern-day painters. His work has been strongly influenced by the paintings and philosophies of U Thein Han, one of the most important pioneers of Myanmar modern painting practices. Thavibu is pleased to present his collection of political paintings, Burma: The Quiet Violence. The collection features more than 30 paintings executed between 1995-2005 under the junta that reflect the artist’s concerns about the detention of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and the discouraging socio-political environment in Burma. The paintings were secretly transported to Bangkok where they have been stored for some years. Myint Swe has participated in more than fifty exhibitions in Burma and has had shows in Thailand in 1999, 2001 and 2002. In 2004, he participated in the international exhibition Identities vs. Globalisation at the Chiang Mai Art Museum and the Dahlem Art Museum in Berlin. His works are found in the collections of the Myanmar National Museum and the National Art Gallery of Malaysia. See the catalogue for additional paintings.