"Coming home means embracing the rhythms of everyday life in Myanmar – the sound of the morning street markets, the chants of Mettā, diverse cultures and many more. It's not all about returning to a physical space but reconnecting again with the roots of the culture and traditions, and a reminder of where I came from by giving me a sense of belonging".
"Burmese Days"
Nukonoku says "Coming home means embracing the rhythms of everyday life in Myanmar – the sound of the morning street markets, the chants of Mettā, diverse cultures and many more. It's not all about returning to a physical space but reconnecting again with the roots of the culture and traditions, and a reminder of where I came from by giving me a sense of belonging".
Before smartphones became our constant companions, the people of Myanmar had a deep-seated tradition of diving into magazines, newspapers, and journals. Stroll through downtown Yangon, and you'd find scenes straight out of a bygone era: especially the older generation, engrossed in the day's news, their morning ritual unfazed by the hustle around them.
Back when the digital wave had yet to sweep across our streets in the 2000s, articles and newspapers were our windows to the world. They connected us to events and stories beyond our borders, a precious link to the global dialogue.
My latest collage captures this nostalgic journey—a tribute to those days of simple discoveries. It portrays us as small fish in the vast galactic sea, navigating the currents of knowledge gleaned from the pages of newspapers, a reminder of a time when information was savored, not swiped.
Digital Art
2024:
Red was once forbidden in Myanmar art.
Banned in art for its deep ties to the National League for Democracy (NLD)—the junta's arch-nemesis—red became more than just a color. It became a loud, unapologetic scream for democracy, a symbol of resistance that the junta feared.
In this collage, the guy nurturing the red flowers represents more than just a moment of care—it's a powerful metaphor for the continuous cultivation of the revolution. Each petal and every drop of water symbolize our collective efforts to sustain and grow a movement that has deep roots in the pursuit of change.
Digital Art
2024:
“Seeing flower vendors in the morning is a common scene of beauty you can find in Myanmar. In this collage, I imagine a scene in which a local vendor is trying to sell the warmth we need, leaving the rainbow, happiness as footprints. If you feel a certain kind of warmness, then you have already bought what she is selling.”
Digital Art
2024:
“Taking buses is a very common thing of living in Yangon where you can see a variety of people from all over the country, trying to make a living here. In this collage, I am trying to portray a scene of a bus going from one bus stop to another with an imagination of space travel. A memory which most of the Burmese people can relate to. These old buses are truly nostalgic pieces of our time and space.”
Digital Art
2024:
