Sandar Khaing
Sandar Khaing | |
|---|---|
စန္ဒာခိုင် | |
 Portrait of Sandar Khaing in 2025 | |
| Born | 1971 (age 54–55) Yangon, Myanmar |
| Education | Studied under U Pe Nyunt Way, U Win Pe Myint, and U Mg Mg Thein |
| Known for | Painting |
| Movement | Contemporary Burmese Art |
| Awards | Nominated for the Sovereign Art Prize (2017); nominated for the Prudential Eye Award (2014) |
Sandar Khaing (Burmese: စန္ဒာခိုင်, pronounced [/sàɴdà kʰàɪɴ/], also spelt Sandar Khine) is a Burmese contemporary artist, noted for her bold depictions of female nudes.[1]
Biography
Sandar Khaing was born in 1971 in Yangon, Myanmar, and studied painting under the guidance of U Pe Nyunt Way, U Win Pe Myint, and U Mg Mg Thein (Pathein).[2] Her early work emerged in a climate of strict censorship, where nude figure painting was culturally and politically sensitive.[3] She initially practiced such studies in private, including clandestine live drawing sessions.[4][5]
Artistic work and exhibitions
Sandar Khaing is best known for a series of brightly colored, curvaceous female nudes, portrayed with expressive lines and often rendered in acrylic and charcoal.[6][7]
Her 2009 exhibition The Naked Truth in Chiang Mai, Thailand, was among her earliest solo presentations.[8] A similarly titled version premiered at Cloud 31 Gallery in Yangon in 2015, consisting of 34 paintings featuring women reading Myanmar state newspapers—an evocative intersection of the personal and political.[9]
She has held several solo exhibitions in Yangon, including:
- Sandar Khaing Solo Show (2006, Studio Square)
- Contentment Cows (2011, Lokanat Galleries)
- The Naked Truth–II (2014, Studio Square)
- The Naked Truth–III (2015, Cloud 31 Gallery)
- The Readers (2018, Nawaday Tharlar Gallery)
- The Naked Truth–IV (2023, IVY Gallery)
Her group exhibitions include:
- Blue Wind (2010, National Museum, Yangon)
- Ongoing Echo 1 & 2 (2010–11, Indonesia–Myanmar exchanges)
- Myanmar 2010: Contemporary Art Exhibition (2010, Chiang Mai)
- ASEAN museums’ collection (2014, Busan Art Museum, South Korea)
- Banned in Burma (2014, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre)
- My Yangon, My Home (2015, River Ayarwaddy Gallery)
- Burma by Proxy (2015, Hong Kong Visual Arts Centre)
- Connecting Bridges (2018, EU Ambassador’s Residence, Yangon)
- Seven Decades (2018, The Secretariat, Yangon)
- Against the Tide: Myanmar Art in the Moment (2024, London)
In 2014, Sandar Khaing undertook an artist residency along with Zun Ei Phyu at Rimbun Dahan in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.[10]
Recognition and impact
She was nominated for the Prudential Eye Award in 2014 and the Sovereign Art Prize in 2017.[11]
Sandar Khaing’s work stands out in the Burmese contemporary scene for its frank portrayal of the nude form—traditionally taboo—and its use of physical curvature to express strength and humanity.[12][13]
References
- ↑ "Sandar Khaing". The British Museum.
- ↑ "Sandar Khine". Karin Weber Gallery. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ PresseAg, Paul Vrieze Deutsche (2015-06-30). "Inspiration from fear". nationthailand. Retrieved 2025-09-04.
- ↑ Galloway, Charlotte (2019-10-09). "Pictures of Transition Contemporary paintings from Myanmar". Pictures of Transition Contemporary Paintings from Myanmar.
- ↑ DPA (2015-06-27). "Rangoon artists, gallery owners wary of renewed censorship". DVB. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ "New Freedom for Myanmar's Artists (Published 2014)". 2014-12-02. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ "Against the Tide: Myanmar Art in the Moment". Karin Weber Gallery. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ "Rangoon Artist Paints the Naked Truth". www2.irrawaddy.com. Archived from the original on 2021-07-13. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ Aung, San Yamin (2015-09-21). "At Yangon Art Show, Obese Nudes Read the News". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ "Women's Work — Exhibition at Rimbun Dahan – Rimbun Dahan". 2020-09-08. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ "Sandar Khaing". nawadaytharlar. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ Ben (2024-07-24). "Resilience in Shadows: Art Amidst Adversity, an exhibition of artists from Myanmar". TQPR Total Quality Public Relations. Retrieved 2025-08-26.
- ↑ Htun, Lwin Mar (2018-07-10). "Arts | Artists Reflect on Myanmar Post Independence". The Irrawaddy. Retrieved 2025-08-26.