Maung Aw

Born in 1945, Maung Aw first pursued a degree in Myanmar literature at Mawlamyine University, graduating in 1970. It was only after his graduation that he turned seriously to painting, studying under the revered master U Thein Han, who was himself a student of the famed U Ba Nyan. He remained under U Thein Han’s tutelage for five years, until he married. This mentorship grounded him in the academic realist tradition, but Maung Aw was never content to simply follow the rules.

His early work consisted mostly of still-life paintings. Then, from 1987 to 2000, he underwent a significant transformation, deliberately deviating from accepted academic realism to forge a path uniquely his own. He described this new approach as “a simple way, minimizing colours and shapes”. Throughout this period, he remained dedicated to capturing light on canvas, painting a series of Myanmar landscapes.

This commitment to simplification deepened. In 2007, he began extracting colours from nature and simplifying them further. His motto became, “The simplest way is the most effective”. This philosophy was beautifully demonstrated in his “Turban Kid” series, which introduced the beauty found in ordinary children. The series was inspired by the traditional headdress worn by Pa-O children in Shan State for festive occasions.

His artistic evolution did not stop there. In 2012, he created another revolution by combining three to four landscapes into a single composition, a process he called “simplification”. In 2014, he created the “In the Dressing Room” series, which featured abstract designs without local colour, catching the attention of collectors at home and abroad. By 2016 and 2017, he had incorporated decorative motifs found in Asian countries into his abstract paintings, a style he called the “Decorative Way”. He developed this technique after discovering floral designs and patterns in the backdrop of Burmese thrones and temples in Bagan, though he created his own original motifs rather than copying what he had seen.

Maung Aw worked primarily in oil and watercolour and exhibited widely. His solo shows included A Taste of Color at Karin Weber Gallery in Hong Kong, Turban Kids at the same gallery, and Face at Art-2 Gallery in Singapore. His works were exhibited in Australia, China, Korea, Hong Kong, New York, and collected across Asia, Europe, and the United States. He participated in international shows for more than 25 years.

Maung Aw passed away in 2021, leaving behind a body of work defined by a relentless and courageous pursuit of simplicity, a journey he described as both painful and deeply fulfilling.