05.11.2006
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SCULPTURE CLASSES IN RANGOON
Another good use for Burmese soil
_ by Jim McNalis
When in Rangoon I stay in various guest houses. There is one I particularly like because of the staff.
Last year when I was leaving, a friend (I'll call him Aye) who was visiting the guest house grabbed my bags and said "Ill find you a taxi to the airport". "You don't have to carry my bags", I told him. "I want to," he said. After negotiating a price for the ride to the airport he stood beside the cab and said, "Jim, I want you to know how much I respect what you are doing for my country and for your sculptures of Daw Suu Kyi and the others. One day I want to be a sculptor like you". Previously when he had expressed an interest in pursuing sculpture, I scoured the bookstores and street stalls to find some instructional book on sculpture but to no avail.
This year I was prepared. When I was 15 years old, I bought a book for $1 titled Sculpture: How to do it. It was from this book that I learned to do my first sculpture. The book had a very direct, uncluttered approach to teaching and had great photos of the process and a minimum of text. 50 years later, this is still the best book I have ever seen on the subject. I brought it with me to Rangoon to pass it on to my friend along with several other books and a batch of sculpting tools I brought from Thailand.
Remarkably, Aye was able to get his hands on some clay while I was there so that I was able to hold daily sessions with him while the other guest house employees looked on. I should mention, that Aye, age 23..looks 16, is very intelligent, enthusiastic, disciplined and funny. He zoned in on everything I showed him from the absolute basics to some more sophisticated techniques. I threw everything at him that he could handle while we were working on the sculpture. Aye, and so many young Burmese are such great and motivated learners. They work so hard to accomplish the tasks at hand. It is tragic that so few have been provided any environment to grow and flourish by the military regime. Given adequate educational opportunities, Burma would produce some highly talented young people guaranteeing a brighter future for their country.
Very quickly Aye produced one of the most accomplished "first" sculptures I have seen. I joked with him that if he kept it up, one day he would be commissioned to do sculptures of President Aung San Suu Kyi and her father Bogyoke Aung San for the park next to the Independence Monument to celebrate the inauguration of Burma's true government. Actually I am not really kidding. Anything is possible in the future.
While I was there, Aye's father and little sister came into Rangoon by bus from their village for dental work. (Govt. dentists simply pull your teeth, and give you no pain medication or follow-up visits.) Aye's father was amazed to discover that his son had done this sculpture. So Aye began to teach all the basics of sculpture to his father and sister while they were at the guest house. Upon returning to their village it was their plan to pass on this knowledge to the rest of their extended family and perhaps begin an additional family industry.
Talk about time well spent.
When I left, Aye said, "Next time you come, I'll give you a really good sculpture as a gift." I have absolutely no doubts about this.
Comments:
Ah Kyar Ah Myin said _
But next time it is not sure you can get visa to enter Burma. If you love democracy and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, junta get irritating. If we make U Than Shwe's sculpture and present him as a good leader of Burma, as our present mock to him! How he will feel and response!!!
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