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Kaung Kyaw Khine was born in Sittwe, Rakhine in 1982. His father is a former art teacher and mother is a school teacher.

After finishing high school, he attended Yangon State School of Fine Arts in 2003. After graduating in 2006, he devoted himself in the arts. He is obsessed with auspicious drums of Rakhine. His “Melodious Plane, and Still Motion” series has shown how much he is obsessed with Rakhine Drrums.

He mixes his skill of painting with Rakhine traditional big drum and dance, which he has been practicing since he was young. In his early work, he painted close ups of Rakhine tribesmen using color and shape. In his later paintings, he uses wide spaces and paint-making coin which was the use of Rakhine region and Anandasandra sculpture as a background and man in full Rakhine traditional dress, who is playing drum and dancing, as a foreground.

“Our Rakhine culture is incomplete without these drums. We include drums in all kinds of occasions, from social celebrations to athletic events. The Rakhine drum is at the heart of our culture. I grew up with drums, given that my father is an artist, dancer and musician. Perhaps this is why drums influence my psyche so heavily. This has translated into my paintings. I paint them out of desire to share Rakhine traditions with others.” the artist explains.

He is adept at playing the Rakhine drum. He inherited his love for this instrument from his father. He is currently passing on this talent to a small group of Rakhine living in Yangon.

Since he is a Rakhine dance teacher, drum master, and painter who is also addicted to poetry, the rhythms and waves that flow in his blood and skin are also beautiful. Besides, the signs he uses are also the signs of historic belief of Rakhine.

The name Rakhine comes from a Pali word, Rakkhita, meaning guardianship. The Rakhine guards over her traditional arts.

His “Memories of mural” series is more about the Buddha’s teaching and peace which is why he uses cool and calm colours.

His “At the tea shop” series expresses his view on how the tea shops and the people in Myanmar are related through social, cultural and daily lives.

His “Waiting for” series” is about those who are waiting for better health, better education, better economy and better life in uncertainties.

He has done three solo exhibitions locally and his work has been shown in many shows locally and internationally in Thailand, Singapore, Hong Kong, Paris, New Zealand and US.

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