Most Monywa artists trying to seek online market amid losing art market

Most Monywa artists, who are losing their art market, are trying to seek an online art market, according to Chairman U Pe Khin Oo of the Myanmar Artists Organization (Monywa Township).
“Yangon artists have a market. Rural area artists have nothing. They have to come and show their art in Yangon Art Galleries. The art show can be held both by groups and by individuals. Due to the current situation, it is not convenient for people to come and visit the art show. Many artists are struggling as they face hardships. They turn to commercial signboard painting, portrait painting and wallpaper painting but those are not for long run. That depends on the customers. We are trying to solve the problems as much as we can,” said U Pe Khin Oo.
Most hobbyist artists are facing not only economic hardship but also difficulties in selling online due to lack of technology.
“Artists sell their artworks through online shopping and some are sold out. The Myanmar Artists Organization invite artists to send their artworks to make online sales. It was successful to some extent. However, it’s not sure whether the artists didn’t send their paintings later. This programme has stopped. Several artworks have been sold out in the programme,” he added.
In Monywa, there were over 30 watercolour artists before but only 10 long-term artists at present. There are rarely to be watercolour artists among the art-graduates. Most are mixed artists of oil painting and watercolours, said Chindwin Yaykyi artist Ko Tin Zaw (Pan Yatha).
“I would like to urge them to focus on watercolour painting for a long term. Originally, they used to go out for outdoor painting by groups on Sundays. We couldn’t do so for a long time at present. I have done 60 artworks during 10 months. Eight of them have been sold out at the Chindwin Watercolour Exhibition in October. The business isn’t good. It is better online. Fewer artworks are sold out because we don’t have our own art gallery,” Ko Tin Zaw (Pan Yatha) was quoted as saying. — Lu Lay/GNLM