ZWE YAN NAING

BIOGRAPHY

Zwe Yan Naing is a highly acclaimed and professional artist. Born in 1984 in Taunggok, a river town in Rakhine State, he moved to Yangon to study at the State School of Fine Arts.  Zwe Yan Naing is best known for his paintings featuring a recurring Burmese girl with traditional ‘thanakha’ on her cheeks, which he sees in his dreams and continues to paint. In addition to this series, he has also created paintings with a political or social message and a series of political collages made from old currency notes.

Zwe Yan Naing’s work has been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions in Myanmar, as well as in international cities such as Brighton, Seattle, Amsterdam, Bangkok, and Hong Kong. Some of his notable exhibitions include “To Value Something” in 2014 at Pansodan Art Scene in Yangon, “A Moment Suspended in Time” in 2016 at Pansodan Art Scene, and “Art Revolution Taipei 2017” in Taiwan.

The artist has received many accolades for his work, including the Best Painting of the Year 2014 from the Tun Foundation Bank in Yangon and the Championship for International Grand Prize Art Competition at the 2017 Art Revolution Taipei (A.R.T.). His work can be found in several prestigious collections, including the Hong Kong Baptist University and the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

One of the biggest endorsements of Zwe Yan Naing’s work came from none other than an international movie star, Jackie Chan. He was so impressed with the artist’s work that he commissioned a portrait of himself to be drawn with Chinese currency notes, further cementing Zwe Yan Naing’s status as a sought-after and accomplished artist. With such high-profile recognition and numerous accolades to his name, Zwe Yan Naing is considered to be one of the leading artists in Myanmar and beyond.

EXHIBITING HISTORY

2011          The Myanamr Lady, Pansodan Gallery, Yangon

2014          To Value Something, Pansodan Art Scene, Yangon

2015          Portraits of Revolutionary, 7th Joint Bar, Yangon

2016          A Moment Suspended in Time, Pansodan Art Scene, Yangon

2016           Blending Colours in Urban, Gallery 65, Yangon

2017          Conceptual Art, Café Innlay, Mandalay

Selected Group Exhibitions

2011           “Inside Stories, Brighton Festival” in UK

2012          “The Art Auction, We Women Foundation” in Netherland

2012          “Contemporary Art from Burma, Cambodia and Vietnam” in Vietnam

2013           “Paintings the Transition Contemporary Art in Myanmar” in Hong Kong

2013           “A Measure of Freedom Contemporary Painting from Myanmar” in Hong Kong

2013          “Myanmar Face and Places” in Hong Kong

2013           Brush Strokes of a Revolution” in Mumbai, India

2013           “Deconstructing Burma Art” in Bangkok

2014           Painting Myanmar Ten Perspectives” in Hong Kong

2014          “Banned in Burma Painting Under Censorship” in Hong Kong

2014           “Workshop on Politics, Business and Human Rights in Myanmar” in Hong Kong

2014           “Zeitgenossische Kunst” in Germany

2014           “Myanmar Art Crossing, Yone Arts” in USA

2014          “New Freedom for Burmese’s Artists” in USA

2015            “Prospect Myanmar Painting a Transitional State” in Hong Kong

2015          “HK Imaging Myanmar in a Time of Transition” in Hong Kong

2015           “The Thukuma Collection Contemporary Painting for Burma” in Singapore

2017           Art Revolution Taipei 2017” in Taiwan

2017           “Parasol Art at Leeds” in NYC

2017           “Asia Hotel Art Fair Seoul 2017, AHAF” in Seoul, Korea

2018           “Myanmar-Korea Contemporary Exchange Exhibition”

2018            “Art Revolution Taipei 2018” in Taiwan

COLLECTIONS

• Painting Myanmar: Ten Perspectives on a Changing Country” in Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong. Acquired in 2014
• “A Measure of Freedom”, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Hong Kong. Acquired in 2014
• “The Myanmar Golden Land”, Linden Museum of Stuttgart, Germany. Acquired in 2015

AWARDS

• The Best Painting of the Year 2014, Tun Foundation Bank, Yangon, Myanmar
• Championship for International Grand Prize Art Competition, 2017 Art Revolution Taipei (A.R.T.), Taiwan