To be completely honest, I am not quite well-versed in Myanmar's art scene. I know a few artists who are great at realism, and that's about it.
When I saw Ma Charm's exhibition announcement on my social media feed, I knew I had to go there and see it in person after seeing the previews. It is not always that I see someone who draws in a style that is drastically different from others in the same field. It is also refreshing.
As luck may have it, I had a chance to go and see Ma Charm's Aye Mya exhibition and also to interview her personally due to an assignment set by an online magazine I am writing for, which I cannot be happier about.
Before I introduce you to Aye Mya, the main character of the entire exhibition, I think it will only be logical to explain about the girls from Myanmar's central region, or Upper Myanmar like how other Myanmar would call it. On a side note, yes the country and the people are both called Myanmar, not Myanmar and Myanmese. Even though I hate to admit it, there is a stereotype that girls from Upper Myanmar are more traditional, has tanned skin, adores tha-na-kha, enjoys wearing jewellery made out of gold, and are more inclined to adhere to traditional values of what, and how a woman should be. There is also a stereotype of Lower Myanmar girls too but that's for another day.
Aye Mya is modelled after the grandmother of the artist, Ma Charm. Aye Mya loves to wear traditional prints called cheik, which is considered a luxury since it's made with silk. She loves putting on tha-na-kha , which is a traditional cosmetic paste made out of the tree bark of the same name and water. Tha-na-kha has cooling and soothing properties, in cosmetology term, and also act as a physical sunscreen although the SPF is quite low. Nevertheless, it is the go-to beauty product for most of Myanmar in the country.
