Bhone Myat San poses for photos in his home in Yangon, Myanmar, on Aug. 24, 2022. (Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)
by Kyaw Zin Tun
YANGON, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- With 48 impressionism works exhibited in his solo show in Yangon recently, Bhone Myat San, a 13-year-old boy, has stepped into a professional career in Myanmar.
More than 30 paintings, or about 70 percent of the paintings from the event were collected from a show on July 9-11 at the Artist Gallery Cafe in Yangon on the occasion of his 13th birthday, according to the gallery owner.
"Staying at home during the pandemic, I have studied (through) painting lessons from YouTube and also joined a five-month online class about oil painting conducted by a Myanmar oil painter in 2021," said the young artist.
"When my mom was transferred to Dawei in 2020 with duty, I accompanied her. I joined a portrait painting class taught by senior artists at the campus of Dawei University," he added.
"I envy impressionists like Monet," said Bhone Myat San, a seventh grader, while putting finishing touches on an oil painting titled "Bagan's Tharabar Gate".
"I created impressionism works mostly with oil on canvas," he said.
When his works were checked for exhibition as he was a young boy, artist Khey Mar Shin, the owner of Artist Gallery Cafe, noticed that he is a talented boy.
"He is the youngest artist who organized an art solo show in my gallery. The event was successful," the 42-year-old female artist said, adding that she also saw that the 13-year-old artist's passion for arts was higher than his peers and even than some senior artists.
Ma Pale, 38, told Xinhua that she brought her two children to the young artist's solo art show so that her children can get inspiration from him.
"He is the same age as my son. I'm proud of the child (young artist)," she said, adding that she has collected a still-life of a vase with white flowers.
Aung Hein Tun, 25, an art enthusiast who visited the young artist's solo event, said that the young artist's paintings are lively, and his painting skill as a 13-year-old one is admirable.
"I had no intention to collect paintings, but I collected one after enjoying his arts," Aung Hein Tun said.
Bhone Myat San was sent to a private arts school for children in 2015 when he was six years old by his father.
"I sent him to the art class thinking that drawing may be useful for his future career," 54-year-old Aung Myoe, who is a photographer, told Xinhua.
"He wasn't interested in drawing and painting at first," he said, but soon the father noticed that his son fell in love with drawing and painting.
"I bought a chess set to play with him, but he drew the chess pieces instead of playing chess," said Aung Myoe.
Bhone Myat San said the money he got from the sales had been donated to the COVID-19 infected people who need supplemental oxygen.
"Consistency is the key to success," the young artist said. "I want to attend a foreign language university in Myanmar because I have a dream of studying arts abroad," he added. ■
Bhone Myat San works on a painting in his home in Yangon, Myanmar, on Aug. 24, 2022.(Photo by Myo Kyaw Soe/Xinhua)
