THE PEOPLE OF 2004

Who made an impact in Burma in 2004? The Irrawaddy has compiled its own list of the 25 people who caught the public eye in an event-packed year.

Artist________________________________

Win Pe Myint

Win Pe Myint’s talent was spotted early on by one of Burma’s most respected and celebrated artists, Paw Oo Thet. “Mark my words,” he said. “This young man, Win Pe Myint, will become known near and far.”

His words were prescient. Win Pe Myint became a name in the art circles not only of his native Burma but as far away as Australia and the US.

Win Pe Myint was born in Magwe, Central Burma, in 1947. While studying at Rangoon University he attended art classes conducted by the University Art Association. He started exhibiting his paintings about 1970.

“He works very hard,” said one leading art critic in Rangoon. “As he is also a master of technical aspects, his works are very pretty and eye-catching. But he leans very much toward realistic paintings.”

Recently, Win Pe Myint took to writing about art appreciation for a popular readership, following the tradition of imprisoned journalist and art critic Win Tin’s A Quest for Beauty (written under the pen name Paw Thit).