KZL's Buddha Series
Khin Zaw Latt studied English in a monastery from 2002-2004. It is therefore not surprising that the Buddha served as the inspiration for his first series of paintings. These paintings were made by first applying a background of deep blue, at times extending the shade to almost black, or, in one painting, adding some brown. He carved a number of wooden stamps of Buddha images of different sizes and forms, and used different colors, ranging from white to lighter shades of blue to stamp the canvas, creating the image of the Buddha’s face and body. The complexity of the image is created by hundreds of overlapping stamps. From a distance it appears that much of the image has been completed by brushstrokes—but upon closer inspection it is clear that it has not. The numerous stamps are juxtaposed with delicate intricacy, forming an image of simplicity and serenity.
KZL does not view Buddha as a God, but rather, a man who was deeply spiritual, philosophical and morally correct. Buddhism in Myanmar is primarily of the Theravada tradition, practiced by 85-90% of the population. By some measurements, Myanmar is the most religious of all Buddhist countries: at any given time it has the highest proportion of its population residing in monasteries, and the highest percentage of religious donations as a proportion of income. The five precepts of Buddhism described in the ancient Pali texts include abstaining from killing, not taking what is not given, avoiding sexual misconduct, abstaining from false speech and abstaining from excessive, fermented drink that causes heedlessness. Some Burmese observe these principles by moral behavior, charity and good deeds (dana) because they believe that they will have a more favorable rebirth in their next life. Others, including KZL, observe these principles because they see the benefits to society provided by this philosophical guidance and because it provides them with a moral compass for their daily life.
The second phase of KZL’s Buddha series was a brief experiment with abstraction. Here, he used brushstrokes of blue, different shades of red, black and orange to provide a backdrop that does not convey a feeling of time, place, or religion. In one painting, Buddha is depicted by the sparing use of stamping, using the same image approximately one dozen times in a non-overlapping pattern. In another, it is the use of a stamp of a male dancing ogre holding a bow, which conveys the religious nature of the painting sometimes seen in the Jataka. A third reveals its religious nature only by showing a tile similar to those seen on pagodas—but this is an imaginary creative tile, not a literal representation of one 50 or 700 years old.
Not convinced of the success of this experiment, KZL returned to the stamping technique for the third phase of his Buddhist paintings. Now, he introduces elements of the present to the blue canvas by painting images—usually white--over the Buddha image created by the dark background and intricate stamping. These are usually white flowers which seem to pop out of the canvas, forming a necklace on the torso of the Buddha, or held in his hands. These elements of the present remind the viewer that the meaning of Buddha is the relationship of this historical person and philosopher to current life, extending from those who live in elaborate city homes to those in temporary shelters.
The fourth and final phase of the Buddha series features dark backgrounds, more sparing use of stamping, and paint that appears as gold leaf. Gold leaf is traditionally applied by worshippers in Myanmar to objects of veneration; these may include objects as diverse as a huge bolder teetering on a cliff, or more typically, a Buddha image at a temple. The continual application of gold leaf to these images is a costly process, demonstrating profound respect, and providing Buddhists in Myanmar with both an immediate and long lasting connection to their images of worship.
Khin Zaw Latt studied English in a monastery from 2002-2004. It is therefore not surprising that the Buddha served as the inspiration for his first series of paintings. These paintings were made by first applying a background of deep blue, at times extending the shade to almost black, or, in one painting, adding some brown. He carved a number of wooden stamps of Buddha images of different sizes and forms, and used different colors, ranging from white to lighter shades of blue to stamp the canvas, creating the image of the Buddha’s face and body. The complexity of the image is created by hundreds of overlapping stamps. From a distance it appears that much of the image has been completed by brushstrokes—but upon closer inspection it is clear that it has not. The numerous stamps are juxtaposed with delicate intricacy, forming an image of simplicity and serenity.
KZL does not view Buddha as a God, but rather, a man who was deeply spiritual, philosophical and morally correct. Buddhism in Myanmar is primarily of the Theravada tradition, practiced by 85-90% of the population. By some measurements, Myanmar is the most religious of all Buddhist countries: at any given time it has the highest proportion of its population residing in monasteries, and the highest percentage of religious donations as a proportion of income. The five precepts of Buddhism described in the ancient Pali texts include abstaining from killing, not taking what is not given, avoiding sexual misconduct, abstaining from false speech and abstaining from excessive, fermented drink that causes heedlessness. Some Burmese observe these principles by moral behavior, charity and good deeds (dana) because they believe that they will have a more favorable rebirth in their next life. Others, including KZL, observe these principles because they see the benefits to society provided by this philosophical guidance and because it provides them with a moral compass for their daily life.
The second phase of KZL’s Buddha series was a brief experiment with abstraction. Here, he used brushstrokes of blue, different shades of red, black and orange to provide a backdrop that does not convey a feeling of time, place, or religion. In one painting, Buddha is depicted by the sparing use of stamping, using the same image approximately one dozen times in a non-overlapping pattern. In another, it is the use of a stamp of a male dancing ogre holding a bow, which conveys the religious nature of the painting sometimes seen in the Jataka. A third reveals its religious nature only by showing a tile similar to those seen on pagodas—but this is an imaginary creative tile, not a literal representation of one 50 or 700 years old.
Not convinced of the success of this experiment, KZL returned to the stamping technique for the third phase of his Buddhist paintings. Now, he introduces elements of the present to the blue canvas by painting images—usually white--over the Buddha image created by the dark background and intricate stamping. These are usually white flowers which seem to pop out of the canvas, forming a necklace on the torso of the Buddha, or held in his hands. These elements of the present remind the viewer that the meaning of Buddha is the relationship of this historical person and philosopher to current life, extending from those who live in elaborate city homes to those in temporary shelters.
The fourth and final phase of the Buddha series features dark backgrounds, more sparing use of stamping, and paint that appears as gold leaf. Gold leaf is traditionally applied by worshippers in Myanmar to objects of veneration; these may include objects as diverse as a huge bolder teetering on a cliff, or more typically, a Buddha image at a temple. The continual application of gold leaf to these images is a costly process, demonstrating profound respect, and providing Buddhists in Myanmar with both an immediate and long lasting connection to their images of worship.