Cloud: An Artist philosophical conversation with Humanness and (Human)Nature

Curatorial Essay for the exhibition Cloud by Thukhamein Hlaing

Clouds, a product of nature that we see everytime we look up at the sky, are the protagonists of Thukhamein Hlaing’s new painting series “Cloud”. Such a common sight has, for the artist, many meanings and is the beginning of many existential contemplations. Though the process of painting this series always begins with the artist taking thousands of photos of clouds in various locations, the paintings are intended neither as cloud studies or skyscape studies. They may be more correctly described as progressing philosophical studies of the state of being human under difficult political circumstances, metaphorically portrayed as clouds. Despite the magnitude of artworks in the exhibition, however, it is perhaps difficult for the viewer to decipher the meanings behind the works without knowing the context of the artist’s thought processes. The repetitive imagery of clouds with no other elements inside the paintings seems like a profound nothingness. Perhaps in the nothingness, there is space to look at ourselves through the paintings. The hollowness gives us and the artist space to reflect. For Thukhamein Hlaing, looking at clouds is looking into a mirror.

“Cloud” is the third painting series and the fourth solo exhibition by artist Thukhamein Hlaing or AM (Aung Min) as he signed his painting artworks. Painted in acrylic on canvas, the series was made in 2022 from the months of July to September, and includes around 30 paintings of different manners of clouds with varying colors of skyscapes as backgrounds. Some paintings are accompanied by short poems at the back of the canvas, not surprisingly, as Thukhamein Hlaing is well-known for his poems and lyrics. In the exhibition “Cloud”, only a selected number of works from the series are shown. 17 works of handwritten short poems on 1’x1’ canvases with small imagery of clouds painted are also added to the exhibition. As many depictions of clouds surround us from the four walls of the gallery, the question of, “How does clouds relate to us?” might emerge. For Thukhamein Hlaing, this question and the existence of clouds occupy him on a personal, ethical, political and environmental level. 

From Left to Right: Cloud in Blue, Cloud in Red, Dreamy Cloud and Love 2. Aung Min, 2022. 2.5’x2.5’, Acrylic on Canvas. Image Courtesy of the artist.

“Love is political”, said Thukhamein Hlaing. Love is at the core of living and is a very important part of the artist’s life. The word “Love” is also seen in some of his 17 short poems on canvases in this exhibition. However, this bond between love and Thukhamein Hlaing is not new to this particular body of work. In his poem book “Cat Series”, published in January 2022, also mentioned the subject of love in personal and political contexts. The 21st poem of the series which contains 36 poems read :

“A star

Loving kindness

Peace

I’ve fallen in love with things I’m too short to reach.” (Poem by Thukhamein Hlaing, Translation by O.J)

It is the artist’s belief that only when there is love at the core of being human, can you have a kind impact on other individuals and make your surroundings more beautiful. However, it is always not guaranteed that love can always be our state of being. A part of being human means that we have varying types of emotions. Moreover, the flow of life always changes. Humans change their ways of life, perspectives and opinions into many shapes and forms in their lifespan, as do clouds. The state of existence is not fixated. It is in fact fleeting. Perhaps the key to maintaining a healthy life is to have great balance. As we passed through the varying shapes of clouds in the exhibition, this idea of balance is depicted in the 17th and last painting of the exhibition, White and Black Clouds. In this diptych, with a painting of white clouds on black sky and an all-white painting with white lines of cloud structures traced on the canvas, the artist contemplates about the Yin Yang, the different forces that must come together to exist in a perfect balance. As this holds true for his personal philosophy of life, it should hold true for various challenges we face as humans collectively in this age, according to the artist. 

White and Black Clouds. Aung Min 2022. Diptych, 2’ x 2’ each, Acrylic on Canvas. Image Courtesy of the Artist.

Like clouds, human life is a short-lived and fleeting existence compared to the life of the earth and mother nature herself. However, one short fleeting human life can have a significant impact on the environment they thrived in. As humans continue to follow the pleasure and convenience of technological advancement, nature is suffering as a result. Human actions cause climate change which in turn affects the aspects of the environment, clouds included. As mentioned above, the ‘cloud-scape’ is like a mirror which gives the artist a space to ponder about the actions of humans, the impact we have on each other and the environment, and the histories we are writing. The impermanence, the shape-shifting nature and the hypocrisies (perhaps not a characteristic of clouds) are common nature in both humans and clouds. In both metaphorical and literal sense, clouds are very much related to humanness. The artist utilizes art as a tool to highlight this connectivity, how self, other individuals, and impacts need to be in balance to build a healthy ecosystem where all existence can thrive. 

The artist mentioned that this painting series is about impermanence portrayed as aesthetical beauty, a coated layer to hide the unseen until spoken about. Impermanence in Burmese is မမြဲခြင်းတရား (Ma-Myal-Chin-Ta-Yar). Here the word တရား (Ta-Yar) is very important for the artist. The word “တရား” in Burmese can hold several meanings in English. One is Justice. What kind of actions we do as humans is justifiable? How do we uphold Justice and what do we/ should we do in the face of Injustice? These are perhaps questions for the viewers. Another meaning can be religion or morals and ethics. The တရား the artist would like to speak about here is about morals and ethics, and not specific to the religion one believes in. One’s own idea of morality can also be political. It can be a guiding tool to decide what’s Justice and what’s not. 

Thukhamein Hlaing’s “Cloud” is the artist’s way of peacefully commenting on the various crises we face today with art. With minimalistic and repetitive visuals, the exhibition is perhaps more about thinking than seeing. As the clouds engulf us, we see the truth of human histories and the legacies we are leaving. “Cloud” exhibition is a deep reflection of life. Thukhamein Hlaing’s works are spaces for him and for the viewers to contemplate about morals and ethics of living as well as about truth and justice.

Phoo Myat Thwe

Curator, “Cloud” Exhibition