From Burma and Bengal, with love

It may sound like a bit of a cliche to describe artists as people fond of gesturing with their hands, but it remains relevant in the case of Zaw Win Pe, a Burmese artist, whose solo exhibition, Paradise – landscapes of Myanmar, is on as part of Art Chennai at the Vinnyasa Premier Art Gallery. For him, art is an eternal flow of his emotions depicting landscapes of Burma. So when shades of Shan state find their way to his works – vibrant and lively, we are not surprised. Curating the works of the Burmese artists was Abhishek Basu, who is also president of the Calcutta Arts Club. He is also here in order to create awareness about the  young and emerging talent, through this travelling exhibitions. He says, “This is the first time we are exhibiting the contemporary  work of artists from Myanmar in Chennai.”Though the Burmese artist was not present to showcase his works, his curator’s brief about Pe and his artistic expressions made for a good evening. As Abhishek explained the artworks of Pe, one could see how much the curator understood and appreciated his artist and the emotions of his paintings. He says, “His techniques are simple – palate knife and oil colours for the effects and bold textures that add dimension and depth to the paintings.”  With an eye for abstract landscapes, Pe, one of the finest artists in Myanmar, art captures his memories of living in the Shan state. He entered Myanmar’s art scene with his colourful landscapes inspired by Shan, which is a north eastern state in Myanmar. Sometimes, the figures in his paintings offer a sense of movement to the viewer. This deception can, in fact, be the focus in his paintings. In loud shades, the artist manages to take viewers to the Burma that he holds  fold memories about. Picking out one of the paintings of Pe, called the  Pyramid Mountain- Abhishek says. “I have heard that this mountain in Shan state has several hues, and Pe has reflected it all in his art. The green poppy seed field, the orange mountains and yellow sky are handled  poetically by him,” Abhishek adds.Paradise - a solo exhibtion by artist Zaw Win Pe, is on till March 20.