Nobility of the Human Spirit

The Sculpture of Aung San Suu Kyi

By Jim McNalis

Prologue

The first thing I see every morning as I enter my studio in Florida is my cast of the sculpture of Aung San Suu Kyi. She seems to stare reflectively through the window and out over the water, reminding me on a daily basis that there is no such thing as neutrality; that if one person’s freedom is denied, the freedom of all people is in jeopardy. She reminds us of our responsibility to each other, a responsibility that must be honoured and acted on. She reminds us that the battle for human freedom and dignity is never over. It requires our commitment and demands our active participation.

As a professional artist and enthusiastic world traveller, I have never found a more compelling or fascinating subject for my sculptures than people. Humanity. I have always been interested in how people deal with the challenges of their lives; how they approach the joys and difficulties of the human experience. I am constantly witnessing examples of the power of the human spirit to embrace happiness and transcend pain. This human quality is the subject of my artwork. Travel, especially in Southeast Asia, provides me with many ideas for my sculptures. Travel, more than any other life experience, recharges my creative batteries and my journeys give me insights and experiences which fuel my work.

It is never my intention to idealize or monumentalize individual human beings but rather to discover those qualities which allow people to transcend the difficulties of the human experience and which reveal human potential at its uppermost limits. I am constantly amazed at the strength people summon under the most difficult conditions. Finding the strength to prevail in the face of enormous deprivation and cruelty. I have found this ability of people to endure and rise above the tyranny of a hideous and oppressive government especially strong in Burma.

With her qualities of intelligence, modesty and humour, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is probably the last person who would encourage a sculpture which singles her out as an example of what I refer to as the “Nobility of the Human Spirit”.

So then, let me explain how this sculpture came about.

On the 22^nd of October, 1996, I had just left the Burmese embassy in Bangkok with a visa that would entitle me to travel in Burma (now called Myanmar) for 28 days. After purchasing an airline ticket for Rangoon I rummaged through Bangkok’s bookstores and came across a booklet “BURMA: The Alternative Guide”. The guide documented the atrocities being perpetrated on the Burmese people so that the government could attract tourism dollars. The military dictatorship was conducting a worldwide campaign, TRAVEL MYANMAR YEAR 1996.

Rather than a travel problem, I realized I was facing a moral dilemma. I had dreamed for many years of travelling in Burma but I knew I must respond to the pleas of Daw Suu Kyi and the NCGUB and cancel my flight reservation. Their message was clear. Do not come now. Boycott TRAVEL MYANMAR YEAR 1996.

I had been following events in Burma since the early 1990’s when I visited a refugee camp near Mae Hong San, Thailand. My outrage at what I had seen there and had learned from refugees fuelled my interest. The documented information in BURMA: The Alternative Guide reignited my curiosity about Burma and upon my return home I began to read everything I could find on the deteriorating situation in the country; the people’s dissatisfaction with their oppressive government and their desire for the freedom to live a life of their own choosing.

It was now November 28, 1998. As my flight descended into Rangoon, I was forearmed with enough information to feel certain that once I cleared customs, any kyat I spent would go directly into the hands of Burmese people rather than into government supported tourism.

The 28 day visa allowed me time to travel quite extensively through Burma from Rangoon to Mandalay and from Pagan to Mt. Popa and on to the Shan state and Inle Lake. I was simply stunned by the dazzling beauty of this country, untouched by the more negative influences of modernization. I quickly realized that Shwedagon and the temples and pagodas of Pagan were the equivalent of any of the world’s celebrated shrines and landmarks but unfortunately are not as well known because of the isolation of the country by its government. Apparent everywhere were abundant natural resources; lush forests, rich soil, mighty rivers: all being abused and exploited for the personal enrichment of the generals and at considerable expense to the people of Burma.

As awed as I was by the countries natural wonders, I always find a countries greatest resource to be its people. My heart was captured by a people of great warmth, curiosity, dignity and an amazing sense of humour. This truly was fertile territory to find the fire and nobility of the human spirit.

Throughout my journeys I do quick pencil sketches and shoot many photographs. It became clear the energy of this trip would culminate in a sculpture I would title, “The Face of Burma”. Perhaps that face would be a particularly striking and unique personality I would meet or it might be an amalgam of a variety of people I would come across.

On overnight bus trips and long, slow river journeys; in family run guest houses and tea shops; during long walks around towns and in the countryside; over shared meals and drinks I got to know students, Buddhist monks, trishaw drivers, small business owners and a cross section of people of all ages and walks of life.

The more we talked and the closer we got to each other, the more candid the Burmese were in discussing their lives their government and their hopes. It was at this stage that the name of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi began to emerge. The transformation of people when they spoke of her was quite remarkable. Energy and enthusiasm levels rose; eyes sparkled and gestures became more animated. One lady described Daw Suu Kyi as a “bright star in Burma’s dark night”. Others said that for the first time they no longer felt alone in their struggle. People were strengthened by her understanding of their conditions and her sincere concern for their future. The story of Daw Suu Kyi walking toward the guns of the Tatmadaw came up in every conversation I had. They had confidence her commitment was honest and complete and were profoundly moved that she was willing to make great personal sacrifices to accomplish the goals of freedom and democracy. Often I heard people say, “she is the only one we can really trust”.

It was becoming clear that the face of Burma that I sought for my sculpture must be the face of Aung San Suu Kyi since I saw it repeatedly and clearly reflected in the eyes of so many people.

Creating the Sculpture

I began work on the sculpture as soon as I returned home while the energy, the images and the spirit of the Burmese people were still powerful in my mind.

A portrait painting can be accomplished with a single photograph, but the three-dimensionality of a sculpture demands that many different views of the subject be studied. Since, for obvious reasons, Daw Suu Kyi was not available for sittings, video was the ideal reference for this sculpture. Video reveals motion, energy, animation and personality so well.

Finding reference material for the work was somewhat of a problem that was quickly solved by the kind assistance of NCGUB Prime minister Dr. Sein Win, who promptly sent me photographs and a wonderful video interview of Daw Suu Kyi.

Getting a likeness is critical in portrait sculpture but rather than the goal, it is the starting point for my sculptures. We can all see the shape of an ear or a nose but the true challenge is to find the shape of integrity; courage; sensitivity; intelligence; humor or determination. In short, discovering those qualities that animate that person and make them unique? Since Daw Suu Kyi possesses so many of these qualities, she literally becomes the perfect subject for sculpture and a very exciting and demanding challenge for the artist.

More than likeness, a sculpture should capture the uniqueness and energy of the subject. A successful portrait must have vitality and presence and reflect something of the persons inner spirit. When you look upon it you should feel that it could react to you. That you have interrupted a private moment and that it could surprise you by blinking or glancing in your direction. If the sculpture has captured these subtle nuances, you should be able to observe changes in its facial expressions as the passing light of day moves over it. It cannot merely be a static form occupying space. It must have the breath of life.

The process of sculpture can occasionally change the artist. In doing portraits, I come across some pretty interesting people and while they are sitting for the bust, I get to know something about them and their lives. Some are interesting and enlightening. Some are humorous and full of life. Many are high achievers and some, unfortunately, are disappointing. But they are all part of this rich stream of humanity and its mystery. It is rare and therefore particularly exciting to encounter a subject who is truly inspiring and such is the case with Aung San Suu Kyi.

In my efforts to get at the truth beyond simple likeness, I read everything I could find about events in Burma and about Daw Suu Kyi. I find it necessary to literally saturate myself with written, photographic and video references if I cannot meet with the person I am sculpting. Through this experience and particularly her own words, Daw Suu Kyi reminds the reader that we really should expect more of ourselves; that we have it within ourselves to be better than we are and that we have a responsibility to each other. And this responsibility is not fulfilled in any permanent way by preaching a message but by actually living this philosophy. It can only be accomplished by example. Aung San Suu Kyi is one of those rare individuals who simply IS her belief system and who acts accordingly. This is that dignity and courage, that special quality I refer to as the Nobility of the Human Spirit.

When I am finished with a sculpture, I always hope I have accomplished something worthwhile and that each of these experiences has helped me grow a little more as an artist. However, there are those rare instances when you feel changed by your exposure to the personality, philosophy and ideals of the person you have studied so intensely. This is an unexpected and uncommon benefit I experienced during the months I was involved in the creation of this sculpture of Daw Suu Kyi. I am left with a sense of progress that is more than just professional. Simply stated, people who have a nobility of spirit ennoble us all.

Sculptors have a highly developed sense of touch and rely on it as a significant source of information. When I am travelling in a lush country such as Burma I often find myself sifting soil through my fingers and running my hands over textural surfaces. As I crossed the country I began to collect small soil samples from Shwedagon and Mandalay Hill; sand from the plains surrounding the temples at Pagan and dirt from the banks of the Irrawaddy River. On my last day in Rangoon I had a taxi drop me off near University Avenue. As I approached the avenue I was confronted by ugly barricades; wooden frames covered with barbed wire, which were intended to discourage traffic. As I marvelled at the real and symbolic inhumanity of these barricades, I stepped off the side of the road and scooped up some soil to take along with me.

While I was making the final cast of the sculpture, I mixed in these samples of Burmese soil with the clay so that the finished sculpture would be permeated with the very earth of Burma.

On September 24, 1999, the sculpture was presented to prime minister Sein Win and the Burmese people to celebrate the anniversary of the founding of the National League for Democracy by Daw Suu Kyi and her colleagues. The celebration took place at NCGUB headquarters in Washigton, D.C. and was attended by expatriate Burmese families and friends.

I can barely imagine the pain of living in exile from one’s native land so I was happy at the end of my presentation to ask all the Burmese in attendance to come to the front of the room and touch the sculpture; for when they did, they would literally be placing their hands back on Burmese soil.

At the conclusion of the evening, Dr. Sein Win told me he was leaving for England to attend a memorial service for Michale Aris. The prime minister expressed his wish to present the sculpture to Daw Suu Kyi’s family in England. I was happy to know that my work might provide some small comfort to her family and particularly her sons who, along with Daw Suu Kyi, must experience considerable anguish and unhappiness by the uncertainties of their separation.

I promised Dr. Sein Winn that I would make another cast of the sculpture so they could keep a copy on display at NCGUB headquarters in Washington, D.C.

If we are to fulfill our obligation to each other as members of the same family, the human family, we must make Daw Suu Kyi’s words our own…”Please use your liberty to promote ours”.

Jim McNalis, Ft. Lauderdale

Epilogue * Whenever I have travelled to Burma I have always passed out photographs of this sculpture to whoever asked for one. In March of 2005, I made an interesting discovery. A young man in a bookstore who was helping me find books dealing with Bogyoke Aung San looked at the ASSK Sculpture photo I had and asked if he could have it since it was better than the picture he already had. He ran in the back of the store and returned with a rather worn photo copy of the same picture. He explained that whenever one of these photos showed up, many copies were made and passed around. “You know, Jim”, he said, “like pictures of the Dalai Lama in Tibet. They are illegal but people have them to keep their spirits up”. What a surprising discovery. Since its completion in 1999, this sculpture of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has taken on a life of its own and apparently this life continues in many unexpected ways.

......................................................

Comments

J V W said _

                    Thank you Jim, you are wonderful.

Kyaw U said _

                    Thank you for your feelings about Burma.

A. Than said _

                   Well-done, Jim. More Please.

Neill Staurland, Norway said _

Dear Jim McNalis, thank you for a very informative article about the making of this sculpture and your comments concerning Burma. If only the rest of the world would see things in the same way you do.
Never stop, Jim.

A Myanmar said _

Special thanks for your mind upon Myanmar. I shall never forget your wonderful pure mind.

Your Comments here_

If you have evidences of genocide committed by military regime please contact burmadigest@tayzathuria.org.uk