Bagyi Aung Soe, “The Illustration of Poems”, Nway U (June 1988), 114-115.1
114 What a fool I am. I should study from a brilliant poet like Dagon Taya. He was interested in painting and taught me about painters’ lives. He told me about the lives of artists, politicians and everything that he knew. I knew nothing back then. What I wanted was to become someone. I had just left the Burmese army. I did not understand anything anymore. Dagon Taya was the only person who could tell me, explain to me and teach me. He was a friend of mine and a poet too. I believe he was the most avant-garde man of our time. To create illustrations of poems, I know I have to learn from a poet. I do not want to illustrate poems without any knowledge of poetry. It has been at least 35 years since I make a living as an illustrator of poems. I painted thousands of paintings. They are in black and white. I do not make them in colour. I am used to using a pen. Since the post-war period, I illustrated poems in only black and white using pen. To do that, I had to read millions of poems and to contemplate on these poems. After reading so many poems, I had a few experiences (“Experience” [English]). Should I say that they were experiences from my past lives (“Past experience” [English])? Adding to the third eye (“Creative Imagination” [English]) I received – that is to say, I am capable of creating something new according to imagination – I added competence and skilfulness. 115 While it is impossible to learn how to illustrate poems, it is possible to learn how to paint. Young artists today – whether they are intellectuals or graduates from the school of painting – are entirely intelligent. I cannot surpass their works because they are intelligent at drawing (“Clever in Hand-Craftmanship” [English]). With respect to illustrations of poems, the artist’s idea is linked to the poem to be illustrated. It is with the intelligence of idea (“Clever in mind” [English]) that I am capable of being an illustrator of poems. I have been in the field of poetry for 40 years. I have made many illustrations. With this long experience, I have developed sufficient concentration to be as I am. It is very simple. It is because I like poetry and adore it very much. Anyone can become an artist like me if he or she understands my idea. It is important that he or she has true kindness. If one is kind, it is 1
This translation only conveys the gist of the article, not all the nuances. Bagyi Aung Soe, “The Illustration of Poems”, Nway U (June 1988), 114-15.
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AungSoeillustrations.org