A gathering of Myanmar artists came together yesterday to paint portraits of Aung San Suu Kyi in a gesture of solidarity with her leadership. Myanmar’s state counsellor has been the target of international criticism since August over her complicity with the mass displacement of Rohingya Muslims from Myanmar.
On September 29, a portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi painted by the Chinese-American artist Chen Yanning was removed from a wall at St. Hugh’s College at Oxford University, where Suu Kyi is a 1967 alumna. Yesterday’s gathering was a direct response to this removal, with some painters producing replicas of the Chen Yanning portrait.
“As artists, we as feel that the removal of her painting at Oxford University is a matter of outright concern for us to deal with. Our heartfelt trust in our Mum [a local nickname for Suu Kyi] is irrevocable,” artist Nay Aung Shu told The Global New Light of Myanmar. “People in many parts of the country are showing their solidarity with our Mum at rallies, so we are doing this activity as our show of solidarity with our Mother, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi.”
Nay Aung Shu serves as treasurer for the Myanmar Traditional Artists and Artisans Association (Central), which hosted the painting event at its gallery.
“State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has sacrificed her whole life in the service of her countrymen. We honor her love and goodwill towards our country,” said Aung Lin, a consultant for the association. “We are always together with her. We support her endeavors with honor and respect. We take part in this activity to paint pictures of Mum, who is always in our hearts.”
The portraits created at the event were given to spectators as souvenirs and exchanged between artists.
State media reported that nearly 100 artists, including professionals and amateurs, attended the event.
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