BORN: 1965
HOMETOWN: YANGON, MYANMAR
Artist Myo Thant Oung was born in Yangon, Myanmar. He studied art under artists such as Maung Maung Ba, Tin Maung Oo, U Win Pe Myint (WPM), and renowned art master U Ko Shwe Oung Thame. Since 1983, he has participated in approximately 70 group exhibitions and 10 solo shows in Myanmar and overseas. Myo exhibited his solo show in Singapore at Orchard Point Exhibition Hall in 1997, and at J Gallery and The Oriental in 2000, 2001, and 2003. His most recent solo exhibition was at Bahan Gallery in Myanmar in 2014. In the same year, he participated in an artist-in-residence program at Fukuoka Artist Art Museum in Japan.
Myo Thant Oung is well known for his photo-realistic paintings of landscapes, animals, and people. He utilises an array of colours for shading and textures to portray the beauty of various sceneries and subjects in his paintings. He paints nature in its natural environment conveying the artistry of every alluring scenery he tries to capture on canvas. A simple tree trump can be painted beautifully by him with a wide range of shades, tints, and hues with much attention to detail, showing every nook and cranny of the textures to create perspectives of the tree bark and inner crevices. The bright colours used in his paintings of landscapes and flowers intensify the attractive leaves and petals, creating a breathtaking view like it was a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence.
Myo brings emotions to his hyperrealistic paintings of human and animal subjects exquisitely through their eyes, facial features, and body language. Curiosity could be present in the eyes of a child in his paintings with doe-like eyes and a stance eager to understand and interact with their surroundings. Hard work and familiarity could also be present in the eyes and body language of bulls pulling carts to assist their owners in transporting tree trunks, trotting down a pathway they seem to be accustomed to.