Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158.1
17 There was a time... … when Bagyi Aung Soe was shunned by his colleagues and friends of the art, publishing and film industries. They got rid of him because he was drunk most of all time. Today, he is no longer the same man. Everyone is pleased to see the changes in him. He has stopped drinking alcohol and has, in addition, taken up religious practice: making merit by counting beads, meditating and guiding young painters [artists] and cartoonists. Because of his good practice and attitude, he is once again respected. “Can you tell me about your life?” “Yes, the beginning of my life was a bed of roses. If I did not have a hard life or struggle like Van Gogh and Gauguin, I would never have become an artist [painter],” he started. “The famous painter U Ba Kyi was married to my cousin and became my brother-in-law. Learning art was convenient for me. He supported me well with brushes, paints and even paper every time I asked. But he did not teach me about art in detail. To tell the truth, he only gave me so-called lessons.” “Two other persons who studied painting [art] together with me then were Ko Hla Sein (passed away) and Ko Wun Tha who retired from the Ministry of Information (America). They studied with great respect and obedience under him. Ko Hla Sein began drinking when I was there with them. I once made him drink a lot. He was once so drunk, he cried on the road as he dared not go back to U Ba Kyi’s house. I had to take him there.” “Walking around in Bahan one day, I saw a man of advanced age drawing near Shwe Kyin Monastery. I liked his work and asked to learn from him. That artist was U Hla Bau.” “How did you learn from him?” 1
Characteristic of usage in the modern period, the Burmese word meaning “painting” is often used to stand for “art”, and likewise “painter” for “artist”. In this article, the original meaning of “painting” and “painter” is favoured. When translated as “art” and “artist”, “[painting]” and “[painter]” in square brackets follows, unless the Burmese word for “art” is used. The Burmese term meaning “painting of the new era” [art; Burmese: eခတ$သစ$ ပန္းခ်ီ] is generally understood as “modern painting” and “modern art” in Myanmar. Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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18 “He didn’t teach me immediately. I was asked to wash the excrements at the monastery’s guest toilets instead. We were under the Japanese Occupation and there was no one to do the job, so he said, ‘Well, people used them without cleaning up. Let’s do it.’ He started cleaning first. Then I had to give him a hand. There was more; everyday, I had to wash the brush used to clean the monks’ toilets.” “Later, I came to understand the experience as rewarding and satisfactory, even though it was a bit tiring to do everyday. People who use them said, ‘Sadhu, sadhu, sadhu!’”2 “Then he, U Hla Bau, made the assertion that, ‘Well, you are now a real artist [painter]!’ and began to give me some lessons on painting [art]. I still make my living with it. The words he said have stayed in my heart. Washing excrements is nothing compared to the difficulties I have had in my life as an artist.” “When did you enter the publishing industry?” “I first drew for Taya magazine, and then came more opportunities with Thwaythauk and Shumawa. I did not encounter many difficulties; they were happy to use my illustrations. It didn’t matter for me whether I got paid or not. My parents were government officers and my mother was wealthy. I lived with my parents and received money from my mother regularly. I did not rely a lot on my work to make a living.” 157 “Since I began my career, I had a distinct practice which was strange to other Burmese painters [artists]. I was accused of destroying the art scene and some even tried to censor my works with the help of organisations, to stop them from being used in printed matter.” “I had such an easy life, I drew as a hobby, drank as I pleased, lived in a flat and never dreamt that I would have a hard time in my life. I really wanted to be an artist [painter] and thought it could be achieved only after experiencing poverty. Then I tried hard to be poor. It is tiring and difficult based on my experience. In short, I tried to experience poverty and to know life’s difficulties. Besides, the writer Dagon Taya told me about the lives of world-famous artists, Van Gogh and Gauguin, and gave me books about them. Knowing more about the artist’s life helped in illustration and imagination. With the guidance of Dagon Taya, Yangon Ba Swe and U Ba Yin Galay, I increasingly knew what it’s like to be poor.” “You also drew some cartoons for the press, right?” “I did. In fact I preferred cartoon to painting [art]. I was keen on becoming a cartoonist. It was just my luck that I did not become one. Before the war, I drew cartoons for magazines and 2
In Buddhist communities in Myanmar, “sadhu” is said three times in response to meritorious speech or act. It translates as the sharing of merit accumulated through the speech or act. Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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journals as a hobby. Okka Myint Maung and Zo were my pennames. For me, cartoon was like an ocean, the broadest field, and I’m still trying to keep the passion alive with the hope of becoming a cartoonist one day. By the way, I would like to tell you how luck is surprising. Although I who quit teaching to become a cartoonist did not succeed as such, someone who was a train conductor is now known countrywide as a cartoonist.” “What…!? A train conductor became a famous cartoonist?” “That’s right. It is one of things I witnessed.” “Listen, I was teaching kids English through drawing at Ashin Ardisa Wuntha’s monastery at that time. One day, the headmaster introduced me to Ba Htwe who was working as a conductor at Pazundaung Railway Station and we became friends. Once, I visited him on my day off and saw his sketches of the landscape and buildings in his neighborhood. I found them amazing and said, ‘Ba Htwe, you can’t stay this way. I must find you a suitable position.’ I helped him to apply for the teacher training course at Kanbae. In addition, I sent several of his cartoons to Mirror Press.” That was how we drew cartoons as Aung Soe and Ba Htwe for Mirror. We were well-known cartoonists that time. Later on, however, I did not become a cartoonist because I focused on being an illustrator of poems in magazines and journals. He is still recognised as the famous cartoonist Ba Htwe today. I can draw thousands of illustrations for poems because I practised drawing many cartoons in the past. It is rewarding.” “May I know the differences between cartoon and illustration?” “Well, we draw cartoons to express what we feel. Nobody asks us to do so. For illustration, it depends a lot on the writer’s content and the inspiration is thus different. It [cartoon] is a really difficult, profound and broad field, and I thus wanted to become a cartoonist. With pictures as well as words, it is an effective weapon of the country. Its potential and impact are greater; even an illiterate person can understand drawings. Another thing is that some think that cartoon has awkward figures with big heads and small bodies. In fact, it has been known that the first sketch for a painting is called a cartoon. It was the practice of famous artists a long time ago. In other words, the creation of cartoons is both a physical and mental activity. As such, it depends on whether the cartoonist dumbs it down or does it skillfully.” 89 “What is your opinion of traditional Burmese painting [art]?” “I have loved it much since childhood. I studied it and drew pictures by myself. It was hard because of its details, but it can promote patriotism. I can’t do it at this age with poor vision and shaking hands, even though I like it much. I am now so weak, I endure stiff muscles and fatigue. By the way, because I had practised drawing in the traditional style, I was chosen to study Oriental and Indian painting [art] at Śāntiniketan on a scholarship. I came to know and Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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see the difference between Oriental and Western painting [art] during my studies there. Class there began only after the practice of yoga for a while; that was the custom. The facilities there were not as sophisticated as in Western culture. With the teacher, we sat on the earth with our legs folded and closely followed his lessons in a building made of earth. What we learnt first were ethics, precepts and some philosophies. Painting [art] was suitably taught intermittently and we practised imaginative drawing observation studies of nature. The materials needed were made with elements obtained form nature, such as tree leaves and barks. We learnt the basics of making paints: how to find and collect the materials ourselves before using them in painting.” “I heard that you learnt dance at that university.” “I did. I took it as a minor. It is like how music and dance are connected in our country. Dancing is as fun as drawing. It shares the nature of drawing and the core of the curricula is almost the same. I can’t explain it enough. You’d better try dancing if you want to know more. Music is of the same nature.” “Why do you draw illustrations wherever and whenever you can?” “Well, as said, I am now old and can’t do detailed work. As such, I create using tools that come by easily. I try to draw illustrations wherever I am. But don’t assume or wonder if I mean to degrade art. Again, creating modern painting [art; Burmese: ေမာ်ဒန်ပန္းခ်ီ] is hard if you take it seriously, but it is fun too.” “You served at the Yangon University of Technology as a lecturer.3 Please explain more about the differences between drawing and architecture.” “Yes, I was a part-time lecturer and taught Graphic Art & History of Art [English]. Here, I would like to mention how drawing is beneficial. Once, the great architect U Thar Tun (passed away) went to England for further studies in architecture. He told me that he was asked to draw to pass the entrance test. Next, drawing deals with length and width alone in the two-dimensional, and we can only sense space by way of our imagination. In architecture, there is volume, space and mass, which we live in and can touch for real. These are clear to see for all. There is one thing that I haven’t mentioned. I learnt the techniques of painting of the new era [art; Burmese: eခတ$သစ$ ပန္းခ်ီ] from my teachers U Thar Htun and U Hla Bau. When U Thar Tun came back to Myanmar, he shared European painting techniques with me. He gave me priceless knowledge. And U Hla Bau taught me techniques of impressionism during the Japanese Occupation. I am indebted to them.” “What do you think of the world-famous artist Picasso?”
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Rangoon was the name of the city Yangon until 1989. Yangon Institute of Technology used to be known as the Rangoon Institute of Technology or simply, RIT. Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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“What I think is simple. Picasso drew as he could, that’s it. But I see his works in three groups: those from his youth, middle age and old age. He drew as he felt when young, and it was discovered that he chose practical methods as he grew older and his body parts deteriorated.I work likewise in response to the changes in my body.” “May I know your opinion on Yangon Ba Swe, U Ba Yin Galay and U Harry Aung, in addition to the contemporary [Burmese: ေခတ္ၿပိဳင္] painters [artists]?” “U Ohn Lwin, U Ko Lay and U Aye Myint (Burmese crafts) are my contemporaries. 157 I like U Ohn Lwin because of his illustrations about the quotidian. U Ko Lay prefers detailed work: beauty, ladies and religious themes. And U Aye Myint (Burmese crafts) is more revered as he always creates traditional Burmese paintings. I like their ideas more than their artworks. U Harry Aung also lives in the same township as me, in Lanmadaw. I was still a student when he started painting. He is brilliant with posters for movies and cartoons too.” “Who is your favorite illustrator?” “U San Lwin (passed away) is my favorite. I like all his works, concepts, principles and ideologies. He was the earliest artist to proclaim his belief and conviction: ‘Public painting; public sculpture’.” “What about the youth today?” “I think the works of painters [artists] and cartoonists today are the most developed and successful. I’ve never seen such works before. One thing I want to tell the youth is ‘Art’ [English] can’t survive as an independent entity in the 20th century. This is the age of science, and one needs to know ‘Art’ [English], ‘Science’ [English] and ‘Technology’ [English] to survive. “I heard that you are painting these days.” “Yes, I am trying my best to do so because there will be an exhibition titled Dual together with [the cartoonist] Might Might (Pyi) in early 1985. “What does the logo in your signature mean?” “If you ask me, well, it’s very simple. As I value tradition, it’s a thanaka pattern on Burmese ladies’ cheeks. Since I was born on the 9th too, to represent the nine zodiac signs, there are eight small circles around the big one.” “May I know your opinion on the Committee of Traditional Burmese Arts and Crafts which you reformed?’ “It’s simple. I’m greatly pleased to see all these professional united.” Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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* The master U Aung Soe was born on 9 Dec, 1923 on a Sunday in Yangon. His parents were Inspector U Ba Chit Tin and Daw Ohn Tin. He is the second of their two children. His sister was Daw Tin Yee (passed away). He attended Myoma Government High School up to Grade 10. From 1943 during the Japanese Occupation until the end of the war, he served as an officer of intellectual resources at the Asia Youth Association in Bahan. Then he joined the Burma Defense Amy. In 1947, he started drawing illustrations for Taya magazine. He won the first prize at the All Myanmar Art [Painting] Exhibition and Competition. He holds a diploma of art in painting. He worked as a lecturer for art [painting] during a short time at the Department of Education at the M.A. level at Yangon University. He also gave lectures on Graphic Art & History of Art [English] as a part-time lecturer at the Yangon Institute of Technology and Department of Engineering at the M.A. level until 1978. In 1951, he was sent to study Indian and Oriental painting [art] at the Viśva-Bharati University in India. There, he took Indian dance as a minor. In 1953 and 1954, he studied Buddhism and Buddhist art in the north of India, Pakistan, Laos and Afghanistan (Kabul). He also visited the Soviet Union (Moscow and Leningrad) and China. In 1953, he worked as a designer at the School of Textile Printing run by the government. He wrote several articles for magazines and published Poetry Without Words and From Tradition to Modernity. He is now 61 years old and lives happily with his wife, Daw Ah Mar, and their children, Maung Myint Soe (designer at a jewellery corporation), Than Than Soe, Thura Soe, Khine Khine Soe and Maung Maung Soe, as well as three grandchildren, at No.11, Thingaha Street, Kyaukmyaung, Tamwe. 158 They make a living by selling snacks and he still spends his time creating artworks. “What I want to add is that the most important thing about the art you create, whether modern [Burmese: ေမာ်ဒန်] or academic, and in whichever technique, is its flavour of tradition. Japan has Japanese art, China has Chinese art and every county all over the world has their own religions, ethnicities and traditions,” he states. To conclude, he treasures and values his own nationality, religion and the dispensation of the Buddha’s teachings. He puts all his heart and soul and money into defining a new traditional style in accordance with his motto: “From tradition to modernity.” I would like to
Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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honour him as “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi U Aung Soe” or “Burmese Picasso with the soul of tradition.”.
Translated by Pann Hmone Wai Edited by Yin Ker
Artist B. Han Sein, “The Master of Painting of the New Era: Bagyi Aung Soe,” Pan, June 1984, 17-18, 89, 157 -158. Translated by Pann Hmone Wai; edited by Yin Ker.
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