Myint Naing was born on 26 February 1967 in Gwa village, Rakhine State, Myanmar. He graduated from the State School of Fine Arts in Yangon from 1986 to 1989. He studied under U Kyaw Lay, U Mya Aye, U Say Yoe, U Thit Lwin Soe, and U Thukha.
He is well-versed in both oil and watercolour paintings. He uses oil paints delicately and smoothly in his nude series. In his watercolour works, he opts for a riot of colours and swift brushstrokes that create breathtaking results.
I love watercolours, he says. It is difficult to master because it is very sensitive. The artist needs to carefully combine water and colours to find the right mix. Not too soft, not too strong. It is even harder when painting nudes because finding the right tone for human skin is tricky with watercolours.
“I painted many nudes but it took me years of experience to find the right technique. Only a few months ago did I understand how to balance the colours.”
Myint Naing
He first started painting nudes using acrylic and oil in 1996 but switched to watercolours around 2000. Nudes were a way to study anatomy. As his friends liked them, they started ordering some. He says painting landscape is easier and feels freer, but he likes nudes because it is a sensitive subject in Myanmar.
When he paints nudes, he makes sure they are not too sexy to adapt to the audience. There is another difficulty. They don’t have models to paint nudes in Myanmar. If they want to paint one, they need to find models and take pictures. It is a difficulty, but he still likes painting naked portraits, even though families are often opposed to it.
What subjects does Myint Naing paint?
He paints both landscapes and nudes. He uses oil for his nude series and watercolour for landscapes and some figure works. He finds landscapes easier but prefers nudes for the challenge.
Why is watercolour difficult for painting nudes?
Watercolour is very sensitive and requires careful balance of water and colour. Finding the right tone for human skin is tricky because it needs to be homogeneous, not too soft or too strong. It took him years to master the technique.
What challenges does Myint Naing face painting nudes in Myanmar?
There are no professional models for nude painting in Myanmar. Artists must find their own models and take pictures. Also, families are often opposed to nude portraits, so he must make sure the works are not too sexy for the local audience.
Myint Naing started painting nudes using acrylic and oil in 1996 but switched to watercolours around 2000. It took him years to find the right technique for balancing colours in watercolour nudes.
