Born in 1979 at Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar, currently lives and works in Yangon, Myanmar. Nge Lay studied Fine Art Painting at University of Culture, Yangon (1999 – 2003) and received a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Art Painting (2003). She also graduated from the Yangon East University with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics (2004), and went on to do Jewellery Design in 2004 until now.
She has participated in numerous group shows and solo exhibitions in many countries, including France, New York, Tokyo, Singapore and Myanmar. She was selected as one of the 30 Finalists of the 2011 Sovereign Asia Art Prize. She later joined Singapore Biennale 2013 (If The World Changed); the 8th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT8) QGOMA, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; 21st November 2015 – 10th April 2016; the 3rd Kunming Biennale, Kunming, China; Bangkok Art Biennale 2018; Children’s Biennale 2019 at National Gallery Singapore. Nge Lay is currently a Co-organizer of “Thuye`dan Village Art Project”, Thuye`dan Village, Pyay, Myanmar. Everything keeps changing each and every second. Different changes bring about diverse dissimilarities.
In the environs I’m living in —at the passage of each and every second— everything keeps changing, including cultural issues, politics, global affairs, even my physical and mental properties. Nothing is permanent nor exists forever. Sometimes, the things I usually see while coming across and the images of some old photos show me good examples of diverse situations between the past and the present. Some change noticeably while some slightly. Some change in different modes according to the regions they exist, even during the same century.
These works reflect my exploration of the differences between the past and the present regarding the changes of the country’s culture, society, economy and environment. Endless Story and Urban Story is an ongoing project started in Myanmar since 2012, and Cambodia in 2016. The project is meant to be produced in different countries around the world, up to the right chance. As such, this project developed during the residency period for Biennale Jogja 2019.
Indonesia has a long history in South East Asia and had plenty of stories including ancient architectures. It’s quite appealing to research on historical source from old photography images in Indonesia, combine recent reflection of Indonesia, and collaborate with the native people.
Photo source: Kanal YouTube blouinartinfo.com
