254:, but he gradually broke from Ba Nyan and began exploring Burmese Traditional culture and painting techniques. One interesting aspect about Ba Kyi is that his transformation from a Western-style realist and naturalist to a Traditional revivalist did not follow an easily defined linear pattern. Ba Kyi jumped back and forth between Western-style work and his Traditional painting, while also mixing the two genres in unusual combinations throughout his life. For example, his watercolor paintings in the early 1950s on the History of the Buddha (above) are clearly some of the more Traditional paintings he ever executed. They are done in bold contrasts of color with the anatomy of figures outlined in thin black lines, with almost no
258:, as was typical of Traditional painting, but he also introduced a greater sense of anatomical proportion, Western-style perspective, shading, and a sense of movement through fluidity of line which was not typical of figurative work in older Traditional painting. In the 1960s, more than a decade later, he did a number of Western-style works of a realist and impressionist character. His murals at Yangon Airport in 1956 are intensely Traditional in their content, but the techniques in the paintings are mostly Western. By the 1970s, however, it seems that most of his work was in the revived Traditional vein.
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respect he served as a kind of "ambassador" of the arts for Burma, regardless of regime, democratic or military, for his
Traditional-style works had broad appeal across the Burmese spectrum. Other of his paintings hung conspicuously in hotels or venues such as university or public libraries, where Burmese could easily see them. His Neo-Traditional revival of Burmese painting arrived at a time when the Burmese, free of colonialism, were in sore need of reaffirming their national pride and
325:, the art historian and painter who was a student of Ba Kyi, said of his work: "Ba Kyi has masterly control of lines and colour and with a few strokes of pencil or brush he makes a picture come alive. His lines are bold and his colours are lively and he can with his art convey his theme with great clarity. But his technique is purely Myanmar, so the configuration of his pictures tends to be graceful and elegant. No other artist excels him in Composition and Rhythm".
338:. His works often expressed a broad, and even bawdy, sense of humor, much appreciated by ordinary Burmese but sometimes criticized by intellectuals if the subject of his painting was considered too serious for humor. His cartoon drawings for children books and magazines were very famous in the 70s. He taught Burmese history and Buddha life through his drawings to young and old. Ba Kyi became a lecturer at the
275:, the British muralist, in London. Ba Nyan's one large mural in Burma was destroyed during World War II and pictures of it do not survive, so it is impossible to use it as a source of comparison with Ba Kyi's work. However, there is considerable similarity between the style of Ba Kyi's mural painting and that of
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Ba Kyi was a simple and unassuming man, who led a quiet life. He lived in a rather large house in a prominent warren of Yangon, and it may be said that he was financially solvent and successful as an artist. A number of his paintings were given to foreign dignitaries as gifts of state, and in this
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School of Fine Arts in a program aimed towards earning an M.A., but he returned to Burma early and did not earn his M.A. there. As he is quoted often in Burma as possessing an M.A., including on his own resume, it seems that the M.A. was awarded to him by the
Burmese government or some educational
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Ba Kyi is known for his murals, including works on the walls of the library of the Yangon
Institute of Education and two murals in the departure hall of Yangon Airport, depicting scenes from Myanmar legends. The paintings at Yangon Airport are thoroughly Burmese in content and tone, but were
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artist. He was initially trained in western painting, but in the post-World War II independence period, he initiated a revival of
Traditional painting, borrowing from the Western training he had received as well as his own cultural heritage of painting styles and techniques.
205:, he was an art lecturer at the Institute of Art, which was organized by the Japanese. He designed currency notes, stamps and propaganda posters. After Myanmar regained independence, he painted huge theatre backdrops and drew many magazine covers and illustrations.
225:. On his return, he was commissioned to illustrate the History of the Buddha compiled by Agga Maha Pandita Ashin Zanakabhivamsa, which he executed in watercolor in the Traditional Burmese painting style while adding considerable innovation. In 1958, the
342:, teaching there until his retirement in 1974. It is said that he was well loved and respected by his students and was often sympathetic to their demands for change of government. He died on 15 April 2000 at the age of 88.
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Ba Kyi also created mural paintings depicting important events in the Buddha's life in the two-storied
Ordination Hall at Myanmar Buddhist Vihara,
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in India. According to his resume, his works are also in the
Sukarno Collection in Indonesia and the Collection of the King of Thailand.
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201:. In 1939, when the State School of Art and Music opened, Ba Kyi became an art instructor there. Under the Japanese occupation during
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where he gained an
Intermediate of Science and a Teachers Certificate. Beginning in 1933, he apprenticed under the master
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show a humorous eye for the lighter side of
Burmese character. Outside Myanmar, his works are on display in the
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Ranard, Andrew (2009). "The
Rangoon School in the Post-War Period: Status Quo and a Traditional Revival".
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and who painted in a realist and naturalist style. His fellow students studying with Ba Nyan included
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Ba Kyi was an early follower of the modern school of painting in
Myanmar first established by
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in Paris, where he studied for one year. He was able to exhibit two of his works in Paris at
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government awarded him a scholarship to study for a year at the
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apparently influenced by his training in mural painting under
160:; 17 July 1912 – 15 April 2000) was a well-known and prolific
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162e Exposition, Societe des artists francais, Salon 1949
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In 1949, he won a French government scholarship to the
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Burmese Painting : A Linear and Lateral History
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464:""He Was a Great Artist" (Sayagyi U Ba Kyi)"
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185:, who had studied western oil painting in
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369:(Yangon) Universities Central Library
294:. The paintings he made for Yangon's
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231:Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
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111:Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
608:. Silkworm Books. pp. 199–213.
468:Myanmar Perspectives – Vol. 6, No. 4
430:. Silkworm Books. pp. 199–213.
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173:Ba Kyi was born on 16 July 1912 in
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631:"U Ba Kyi _ Buddha Diary Pictures"
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546:Dr Than Sein (22 December 2007).
135:Neo-Traditional Burmese Painting
679:Burmese people of World War II
346:Museum and library collections
329:Synopsis of his popular appeal
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674:20th-century Burmese painters
340:Yangon Institute of Education
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548:"Buddha Gaya Myanmar Vihara"
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664:University of Yangon alumni
576:Thein Han (February 1958).
462:Maung Lu Zaw (April 2000).
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578:"Contemporary Burmese Art"
352:National Museum of Myanmar
239:University of Pennsylvania
115:University of Pennsylvania
28:. There is no family name.
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552:Bodh Gaya Myanmar Vihara
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366:Tatmadaw Museum, Yangon
304:Beijing National Museum
426:Andrew Ranard (2009).
669:People from Mon State
493:"Bogalay Kyaw Hlaing"
523:"Ba Kyi (1912–2000)"
357:Singapore Art Museum
318:Critical observation
199:Thein Han (painter)
191:Bogalay Kyaw Hlaing
117:School of Fine Arts
246:Break from Ba Nyan
179:Rangoon University
615:978-974-9511-76-3
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77:(2000-04-15)
57:17 July 1912
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18:Burmese name
659:1912 births
654:2000 deaths
527:Perspective
262:Mural works
223:Monte Carlo
94:Nationality
648:Categories
636:2010-11-13
587:2010-11-13
562:2010-11-13
532:2010-11-13
502:2010-11-13
497:Yadanapura
478:2010-11-13
310:, and the
169:Early life
53:1912-07-17
22:given name
336:zeitgeist
323:Min Naing
284:Bodh Gaya
195:Aye Maung
102:Education
374:See also
277:Brangwyn
175:Kyaikhto
142:Ba Kyi,
132:Movement
126:Painting
16:In this
380:Ba Nyan
269:Ba Nyan
256:sfumato
252:Ba Nyan
183:Ba Nyan
162:Burmese
149:Burmese
107:Ba Nyan
97:Burmese
87:Myanmar
61:Kyaikto
35:Ba Kyi
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306:, the
302:, the
83:Yangon
26:Ba Kyi
20:, the
391:Notes
292:India
288:Bihar
153:ဘကြည်
39:ဘကြည်
610:ISBN
432:ISBN
197:and
144:FRSA
72:Died
47:Born
233:in
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