Aung Ko

AUNG KO (Myanmar, 1980).
"Self-portrait".
Golden resin.
Measurements: 52 x 93 x 65 cm.
Due to its characteristics this work surely belongs to the famous series of the author known as Ko Shwe, a name used among Burmese working abroad. This series includes sculptures and paintings that function as self-portraits of the artist at different times of his life. The figures, depicted nude and covered in gold, allude to the vulnerability of the human condition and at the same time to the symbolism of gold in Myanmar, a country known as the "Golden Land" for the gold of its temples and pagodas. Gold refers to the Burmese cultural identity and also to the experience of the country's migrants, who call each other "Ko Shwe" ("Mr. Gold") as a form of recognition abroad. In this context, the color symbolizes both aspirations and dreams as well as the tensions, uncertainties and difficulties faced by those living outside their country.
Born in 1980 in Htone Bo, Myanmar, Aung Ko studied Fine Art Painting at the University of Culture, Yangon. In 2007 he founded the Thu Ye Dan Village Art Project in his home village in northern Myanmar. He has participated in numerous international exhibitions, including the Singapore Biennale in 2008, the Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale in 2009 and Documenta Fifteen in Kassel in 2022. His works have been presented in several international exhibitions. These include his participation in the Singapore Biennale in 2008, the fourth Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale (Japan) in 2009, as well as an exhibition at the Onomichi City Museum (Japan) between 2014 and 2015. Subsequently, his work was exhibited at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris in 2015 and at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Singapore between 2015 and 2016. In addition, he founded the Thuye`dan Village Art Project in his hometown in Myanmar, an initiative focused on artistic development within his community.