Thingyan Celebration, Denver Colorado, 4-16-17

A video glimpse into the Burmese Community on Thingyan, The Burmese New Years Celebration. 

What stole the show for me was the reunion of comrades who struggled, fought and in some cases were tortured for years in prison in an effort to break a man’s spirit.

Fortunately, the spirit of freedom and democracy did not die within these most honorable men.

They stand together once again.

Saw Ngo, Hlaing Moe Than, Sitt Nyein Aye, Ko Oo (below) are Burma’s hallowed heroes.

 

Burma’s Warriors for Peace

 

And it was an honor to be among Real Champions of Freedom and Democracy.

Your Devil’s Advocate

Buffalohair

Legendary Burmese Activist/Artist Sitt Nyein Aye Appears in Trinidad, Colorado Art Gallery

At L & L Fine Art Gallery located in the budding Art Colony called Trinidad Colorado an artist busily prepares his paints, sketches and a massive canvas stretching 1.95 meters X 5.49 meters. What started out as a simple project to design and paint a Thingyan Festival poster for a Buddhist Monastery turned into quite an eye pleasing event for the discerning art aficionado. Folks were fortunate to find the reclusive Sitt Nyein Aye in his element creating with brush in hand.

Since the project was so big it was fortunate gallery owner Lucky Murphy more than happy to accommodate Sitt with a well lit and secure location where he could paint this giant poster. The Thingyan Celebration and Water Festival was going to begin on April 18 in Austin Texas so Sitt had little time to spare and it was already April 10^th. Within 2 full days and part of the 3^rd day Sitt completed this enormous poster, from a raw roll of canvas to a completed work of art.

See the evolution of the poster on this video provided;

As mesmerized onlookers watched in awe, he performed his magic and transformed this blank roll of canvas stroke by colorful stroke. Little did anyone know he was an accomplished artist whose works hanging in museums, galleries and personal collections around the world but it was clear he was ‘The Real Deal’. His journey to this humble art community was not just a matter of moving from Texas to Colorado it was an epic journey for Sitt was also a political exile from his homeland of Burma.

Sitt Nyein Aye in Amarillo Texas, Uncut