ART SEASONS

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Artist Profile

Nyein Chan Su, mostly known as NCS, belongs to a new generation of avant-garde Burmese artists. His works are eclectic and versatile in style and his early works were inspired by Nats; spirits worshipped in Burma alongside Buddhism. NCS was born in 1973 in Rangoon and studied at the State School of Fine Arts from 1994. NCS produced many different works of art, from paintings and photos to performances and installations. He created modern paintings in Myanmar when there were very few painters and dared to perform street art when no one else would. Although NCS created many performances in his younger days, he stuck to painting as his main practice. NCS is famous for his contemporary abstract expressionism, refining his style with different colours and brushes. He was so successful that art lovers could identify his paintings with his signature broad brush strokes, with contrasting blues, reds and yellows mixed into the canvas. NCS “Dreamscape” series is probably one of his best-known works. Using a hard palette knife and soft paintbrush, he sweeps broad strokes of vibrant colours across a singularly hued background. Ever present are two brushstrokes that depict two individuals, perhaps in conversation. This painting style is also utilized in his Nats series and his early works in the 1990s, which was inspired by his deep fascination with animist worship in Myanmar, which delves into his subconscious. In his later years, his cutting edge practise is deeply rooted in his Burmese identity and culture, with strong narratives questioning current social and political issues, which he deeply cares about. In his own words, he says: “Changes are only on the surface, in other words – there is no change, no improvement, no feeling of security in our minds, souls and emotions. In reality, there still is no equality, justice. We continue to be plagued by "red tape" bureaucracy as we survive on faint hopes for a brighter future.” NCS is one of the founders of Studio Square Gallery in Yangon and today he is regarded as one of the most significant artists in the contemporary Myanmar art scene. Well established both in Myanmar and internationally, NCS has participated in numerous shows inside Myanmar as well as in Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand. He was invited to participate in the 1999 Fukuoka Art Triennale in Japan, which launched his international art career. NCS was nominated for the prestigious APB Signature Art Prize 2011 organized by the Singapore Art Museum. His artworks are in the permanent collections of the Singapore Art Museum, Fukuoka Art Museum as well as in private collections in Europe and Asia. Nyein Chan Su passed away in 2020.