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Exhibition “Thread Under Threat: Portraits of Indomitable Myanmar Women”
April 5 @ 11:00 am - May 6 @ 7:00 pm
Well-known Myanmar artist Chuu Wai’s solo exhibition is born out of solidarity with the opposition movement in Myanmar that has been fighting for democracy since the coup d’état led by General Min Aung Hlaing on 1 February 2021. It resonates with the resilience of the people of Myanmar, especially the women among them.
For three years now, Myanmar people have been demanding the restoration of democracy and the rule of law and the release of the imprisoned leaders and all other politicians in spite of the military’s use of lethal force. As of March 2024, 4,759 people are confirmed killed by the junta and a total of 26,262 people have been arrested, with 20,130 currently detained including more than 5,000 women. The number of displaced people in the country and across borders is over 2 million and growing. Amidst the failure of the international community to pay attention and take action, people are not giving up, continuing their support for the opposition National Unity Government (NUG) in exile and counting on their steadfast opposition and the armed resistance by the People Defence Force and the Ethnic Armies gaining ground to eventually win the revolution.
The series of exhibitions in Thailand displays the powerful portrayal of women figures in Chuu Wai’s paintings. The paintings with mixed material shine a spotlight on the strength, resilience, and indomitable spirit of women who have stood against the oppressive forces of both patriarchal and authoritarian values. These figures become symbols of defiance, challenging preconceptions and inspiring a movement towards a more just and democratic society.
More generally, the artworks radiate the resilient spirit and unique culture of Myanmar as a resource to draw upon in the current context. Utilizing handwoven fabric, vintage photos, and newspaper clippings, the exhibition celebrates the country’s uniqueness while also unveiling and challenging the complex tapestry meticulously woven by those in power through education, religion, and traditional normative systems directed at perpetuating an authoritarian and patriarchal system, which people are set to change.
With SEA Junction as the initiator and overall organizer and curator, Chuu Wai’s solo exhibitions in 2024 have been presented three times in different locations across Thailand. Titled “Thread Under Threat: Myanmar Women Out of the 3-Year Coup Shadow,” it first debuted in Bangkok from 30 January to 11 February 2024 on the curved wall, 4th floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). Secondly, the exhibition moved to Chiang Mai from 8 to 27 March 2024 at the Baan Tuek Art Center, organized in collaboration with the Regional Center for Social Science and Sustainable Development (RCSD) and Thanakha International Gender Tekkatho, under the title “Thread Under Threat: Invincible Myanmar Women Who Dare!“. Finally, from 5 April to 6 May 2024, it concluded its showcase in partnership with the BACC at the BACC pop•up, Gallery 1 at MMAD, 3rd floor, MunMun Srinakarin.
For more information, please email: info@seajunction.org or phone: +66970024140
Artist Profile
Chuu Wai (Burmese: ခြူးဝေ; born 1992 in Yatsaut, Shan State) is a painter, performance artist and activist from Myanmar who has lived in exile in Paris following the 2021 Myanmar coup d’état. She has been active since 2008 when she began studying at the National University of Art and Culture (Mandalay) and Technological University (Mandalay). She has had solo and group exhibitions both in Myanmar and internationally including in London, Paris, New York, Berlin, Luxembourg, Hong Kong and Canberra and often also gives art talks. She is a founder of ‘Young Dream’ under the Jefferson Center (Mandalay) which is a group organizing workshops and exhibitions for young artists and in Myanmar she is considered a media figure and a young influencer artist.
Since 2015, Chuu has been working on paintings which reflect her interest in the female identity when her artistic impulse found a new outlet after the sexual harassment of a guy on the street. This experience made her focus on gender issues and the condition of women in Myanmar today. The artist, who is an engineer as well as a painter, has created a series of works with many layers which conceal and reveal at the same time. For more information, see further https://chuuwai.com
Organizers:
SEA Junction, established under the Thai non-profit organization Foundation for Southeast Asia Studies (ForSEA), aims to foster understanding and appreciation of Southeast Asia in all its socio-cultural dimensions, from arts and lifestyles to economy and development. Conveniently located at Room 407-8 of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center or BACC (across MBK, BTS National Stadium), SEA Junction facilitates public access to knowledge resources and exchanges among students, practitioners and Southeast Asia lovers. For more information, see www.seajunction.org, join the Facebook group: http://www.facebook.com/groups/1693058870976440/ and follow us on Twitter and Instagram @seajunction
Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) has been providing the City of Bangkok with an art meeting place for the past 15 years, reaching out to people with its highly varied exhibitions, and diverse arts and educational programming. The BACC sees further needs for making available more of such art space in the city other than the one centrally located. Now teaming up with Seacon Square, such venture is happening: a space for dialogue between artists and audiences and communities all round, promoting art to become part of everyday life for people of all generations, in this case specifically for the people living on the eastern side of Bangkok. BACC pop×up is located at MMAD floor 2nd and 3rd Srinakarin. For more information, see https://en.bacc.or.th/.
