Ba Kyi
Encyclopedia
Ba Kyi, FRSA was a well-known and prolific Burmese artist. He was initially trained in western painting, but in the post-WWII independence period, he initiated a revivial of Traditional painting, borrowing from the Western training he had received as well as his own cultural heritage of painting styles and techniques.
, who had studied western oil painting in London, England and who painted in a realist and naturalist style. His fellow students studying with Ba Nyan included Bogalay Kyaw Hlaing, Aye Maung and Thein Han. In 1939, when the State School of Art and Music opened, Ba Kyi became an art instructor there. Under the Japanese occupation during World War II
, he was an art lecturer at the Institute of Art, which was organized by the Japanese. He designed currency notes, stamps and propaganda posters. After Myanmar regained independence, he painted huge theatre backdrops and drew many magazine covers and illustrations.
in Paris, where he studied for one year. He was able to exhibit two of his works in Paris at 162e Exposition, Societe des artists francais,Salon 1949, and also in art shows in London and Monte Carlo
. On his return, he was commissioned to illustrate the History of the Buddha compiled by Agga Maha Pandita Ashin Zanakabhivamsa, which he executed in weatercolor in the Traditional Burmese painting style while adding considerable innovation. In 1958, the United States
government awarded him a scholarship to study for a year at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
in Philadelphia. During this time, he also attended the University of Pennsylvania
School of Fine Arts in a program aimed towards earning an M.A., but he returned to Burma early and did not earn his M.A. there. As he is quoted often in Burma as possessing an M.A., including on his own resume, it seems that the M.A. was awarded to him by the Burmese government or some educational institution in Burma upon his return to Burma.
, but he gradually broke from Ba Nyan and began exploring Burmese Traditional culture and painting techniques.One interesting aspect about Ba Kyi is that his transformation from a Western-style realist and naturalist to a Traditional revivialist did not follow an easily-defined linear pattern. Ba Kyi jumped back and forth between Western-style work and his Traditional painting, while also mixing the two genres in unusual combinations throughout his life. For example, his waterclor paintings in the early 1950s on the History of the Buddha (above) are clearly some of the more Traditional paintings he ever executed. They are done in bold contrasts of color with the anatomy of figures outlined in thin black lines, with almost no sfumato, as was typical of Traditional painting, but he also introduced a greater sense of anatomical proportion, Western-style perspective, shading, and a sense of movement through fluidity of line which was not typical of figurative work in older Traditional painting. In the 1960s, more than a decade later, he did a number of Western-style works of a realist and impressionist character. His murals at Yangon Airport in 1956 are intensely Traditional in their content, but the techniques in the paintings are mostly Western. By the 1970s, however, it seems that most of his work was in the revived Traditional vein.
, who had encountered and spent some time studying the work of Frank Brangwyn
, the British muralist, in London. Ba Nyan's one large mural in Burma was destroyed during World War II and pictures of it do not survive, so it is impossible to use it as a source of comparison with Ba Kyi's work. However, there is considerable similarity between the style of Ba Kyi's mural painting and that of Brangwyn in the muscular depcition of figures.
Ba Kyi also created mural paintings depicting important events in the Buddha’s life in the two-storied Ordination Hall at Myanmar Buddhist Vihara, Bodh Gaya, Bihar
, India
. The paintings he made for Yangon's Strand Hotel
show a humorous eye for the lighter side of Burmese character. Outside Myanmar, his works are on display in the Tashkent Museum, the Beijing National Museum
, the Tropical Museum Amsterdam
, and the Bodhgaya Museum in India.
Ba Kyi became a lecturer at the Yangon Institute of Education
, teaching there until his retirement in 1974.
It is said that he was well-loved by his students and was often sympathtic to their demands for change of government. He died on 15 April 2000 at the age of 88.
Early Life
Ba Kyi was born on 16 July 1912 in Kyaikhto, and took up painting at an early age. He attended Rangoon University where he gained an Intermediate of Science and a Teachers Certificate. Beginning in 1933, he aprenticed under the master Ba NyanBa Nyan
Ba Nyan was a Burmese painter who has been called the greatest name in modern painting in Myanmar. His oil paintings were quiet and academic in their style, but display occasional flashes of virtuosity in bold brushstrokes and skillful handling of the medium....
, who had studied western oil painting in London, England and who painted in a realist and naturalist style. His fellow students studying with Ba Nyan included Bogalay Kyaw Hlaing, Aye Maung and Thein Han. In 1939, when the State School of Art and Music opened, Ba Kyi became an art instructor there. Under the Japanese occupation during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, he was an art lecturer at the Institute of Art, which was organized by the Japanese. He designed currency notes, stamps and propaganda posters. After Myanmar regained independence, he painted huge theatre backdrops and drew many magazine covers and illustrations.
Studies Overseas
In 1949, he won a French government scholarship to the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-ArtsÉcole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts
The École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-arts is the distinguished National School of Fine Arts in Paris, France.The École des Beaux-arts is made up of a vast complex of buildings located at 14 rue Bonaparte, between the quai Malaquais and the rue Bonaparte, in the heart of Saint-Germain-des-Près,...
in Paris, where he studied for one year. He was able to exhibit two of his works in Paris at 162e Exposition, Societe des artists francais,Salon 1949, and also in art shows in London and Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo
Monte Carlo is an administrative area of the Principality of Monaco....
. On his return, he was commissioned to illustrate the History of the Buddha compiled by Agga Maha Pandita Ashin Zanakabhivamsa, which he executed in weatercolor in the Traditional Burmese painting style while adding considerable innovation. In 1958, the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
government awarded him a scholarship to study for a year at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
The Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts is a museum and art school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1805 and is the oldest art museum and school in the United States. The academy's museum is internationally known for its collections of 19th and 20th century American paintings,...
in Philadelphia. During this time, he also attended the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
School of Fine Arts in a program aimed towards earning an M.A., but he returned to Burma early and did not earn his M.A. there. As he is quoted often in Burma as possessing an M.A., including on his own resume, it seems that the M.A. was awarded to him by the Burmese government or some educational institution in Burma upon his return to Burma.
Break from Ba Nyan
Ba Kyi was an early follower of the modern school of painting in Myanmar first established by Ba NyanBa Nyan
Ba Nyan was a Burmese painter who has been called the greatest name in modern painting in Myanmar. His oil paintings were quiet and academic in their style, but display occasional flashes of virtuosity in bold brushstrokes and skillful handling of the medium....
, but he gradually broke from Ba Nyan and began exploring Burmese Traditional culture and painting techniques.One interesting aspect about Ba Kyi is that his transformation from a Western-style realist and naturalist to a Traditional revivialist did not follow an easily-defined linear pattern. Ba Kyi jumped back and forth between Western-style work and his Traditional painting, while also mixing the two genres in unusual combinations throughout his life. For example, his waterclor paintings in the early 1950s on the History of the Buddha (above) are clearly some of the more Traditional paintings he ever executed. They are done in bold contrasts of color with the anatomy of figures outlined in thin black lines, with almost no sfumato, as was typical of Traditional painting, but he also introduced a greater sense of anatomical proportion, Western-style perspective, shading, and a sense of movement through fluidity of line which was not typical of figurative work in older Traditional painting. In the 1960s, more than a decade later, he did a number of Western-style works of a realist and impressionist character. His murals at Yangon Airport in 1956 are intensely Traditional in their content, but the techniques in the paintings are mostly Western. By the 1970s, however, it seems that most of his work was in the revived Traditional vein.
Mural Works
Ba Kyi is known for his murals, including works on the walls of the library of the Yangon Institute of Education and two murals in the departure hall of Yangon Airport, depicting scenes from Myanmar legends. The paintings at Yangon Airport are thoroughly Burmese in content and tone, but were apparently influenced by his training in mural painting under Ba NyanBa Nyan
Ba Nyan was a Burmese painter who has been called the greatest name in modern painting in Myanmar. His oil paintings were quiet and academic in their style, but display occasional flashes of virtuosity in bold brushstrokes and skillful handling of the medium....
, who had encountered and spent some time studying the work of Frank Brangwyn
Frank Brangwyn
Sir Frank William Brangwyn RA RWS RBA was an Anglo-Welsh artist, painter, water colourist, virtuoso engraver and illustrator, and progressive designer.- Biography :...
, the British muralist, in London. Ba Nyan's one large mural in Burma was destroyed during World War II and pictures of it do not survive, so it is impossible to use it as a source of comparison with Ba Kyi's work. However, there is considerable similarity between the style of Ba Kyi's mural painting and that of Brangwyn in the muscular depcition of figures.
Ba Kyi also created mural paintings depicting important events in the Buddha’s life in the two-storied Ordination Hall at Myanmar Buddhist Vihara, Bodh Gaya, Bihar
Bihar
Bihar is a state in eastern India. It is the 12th largest state in terms of geographical size at and 3rd largest by population. Almost 58% of Biharis are below the age of 25, which is the highest proportion in India....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. The paintings he made for Yangon's Strand Hotel
Strand Hotel
The Strand is a Victorian-style hotel located in Yangon, Myanmar , built in 1896 by Aviet and Tigran Sarkie, two of the Sarkies Brothers. The hotel, which opened in 1901, which faces the Hlaing — or Yangon — River to its south, is one of the most famous hotels in Yangon and Southeast Asia, and is...
show a humorous eye for the lighter side of Burmese character. Outside Myanmar, his works are on display in the Tashkent Museum, the Beijing National Museum
National Museum of China
The National Museum of China flanks the eastern side of Tiananmen Square in Beijing, China. The mission of the museum is to educate about the arts and history of China...
, the Tropical Museum Amsterdam
Tropenmuseum
The Tropenmuseum is an anthropological museum located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and established in 1864.One of the largest museums in Amsterdam, the museum accommodates eight permanent exhibitions and an ongoing series of temporary exhibitions, including both modern and traditional visual...
, and the Bodhgaya Museum in India.
Critical Observation
Min Naing, the art historian and painter who was a student of Ba Kyi, said of his work: "Ba Kyi has masterly control of lines and colour and with a few strokes of pencil or brush he makes a picture come alive. His lines are bold and his colours are lively and he can with his art convey his theme with great clarity. But his technique is purely Myanmar, so the configuration of his pictures tends to be graceful and elegant. No other artist excels him in Composition and Rhythm".Synposis of His Popular Appeal
Ba Kyi was a simple and unassuming man, who led a quiet life. He lived in a rather large house in a prominent warren of Yangon, and it may be said that he was financially solvent and successsful as an artist. A number of his paintings were given to foreign dignitaries as gifts of state, and in this respect he served as a kind of "ambassador" of the arts for Burma, regardless of regime, democratic or military, for his Traditional-style works had broad appeal across the Burmese spectrum. Other of his paintings hung conspicuously in hotels or venues such as university or public libraries, where Burmese could easily see them. His Neo-Traditional revival of Burmese painting arrived at a time when the Burmese, free of colonialism, were in sore need of reaffirming their national pride and zeitgeist. His works often expessed a broad, and even bawdy, sense of humor, much appreciated by ordinary Burmese but sometimes criticized by intellectuals if the subject of his painting was considered too serious for humor.Ba Kyi became a lecturer at the Yangon Institute of Education
Yangon Institute of Education
The Yangon Institute of Education , located in Kamayut, Yangon, is the premier university of education in Myanmar. Primarily a teacher training college, the institute offers bachelor's, master's and doctoral degree programs in education to the country's prospective primary, secondary and tertiary...
, teaching there until his retirement in 1974.
It is said that he was well-loved by his students and was often sympathtic to their demands for change of government. He died on 15 April 2000 at the age of 88.
Collections
- National Museum of MyanmarNational Museum of MyanmarThe National Museum of Myanmar, , located in Dagon, Yangon, is the main museum of Burmese art, history and culture in Myanmar. Founded in 1952, the five-story museum has an extensive collection of ancient artifacts, ornaments, works of art, inscriptions and historic memorabilia, related to history,...
- Sukarno Collection
- Collection of King of Thailand
- Singapore Art MuseumSingapore Art MuseumThe Singapore Art Museum contains the national art collection of Singapore. It has a collection of 7,750 pieces of Singaporean and Southeast Asian modern and contemporary art, and has an expanding collection of new Asian and international contemporary art.- History :Officially opened in 1996, it...
- Tropical Museum AmsterdamTropenmuseumThe Tropenmuseum is an anthropological museum located in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and established in 1864.One of the largest museums in Amsterdam, the museum accommodates eight permanent exhibitions and an ongoing series of temporary exhibitions, including both modern and traditional visual...
- Tatmadaw [Defense Services] Museum, Yangon
- (Yangon) Universities Central Library