AUNG AUNG TAIK

(Burmese, born 1948)

TWO BURMESE DANCERS, 1981

Oil on Canvas

63 x 88 Inches

Signed Lower Left, 'Aung Aung Taik'

Dated Lower Left

Exhibited:

San Francisco Cultural Center, 1981

 

A major work by this celebrated Burmese Modernist that was exhibited at the artist's first one-man show in the United States, held at the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center in 1981.

 

Considered one of the pioneers of modern art in Burma, Aung Aung Taik first attended the State Academy of Art in Rangoon and studied under two of Burma's leading artists, U Ba Kyi and U Ngwe Gaing. Taik exhibited successfully throughout Burma and Japan in the 1960s but as his work moved in a more abstract and philosophical direction, the government put increasing pressure on him to conform to representational norms and officially approved subject matter. Seeking greater artistic autonomy, Taik left Burma and immigrated to the United States in 1972 where he continued his studies at the San Francisco Art Institute.

 

Taik has exhibited widely and with success internationally, including in Japan, Brazil, Mexico and Burma and in the United States in Arizona, New York and California and elsewhere. On viewing his first one-man show at the San Francisco Mission Cultural Center in 1981, Tom Albright commented in the San Francisco Chronicle that Aung Aung’s paintings “…suggest some of the strange stage sets of Francis Bacon carried to a greater degree of abstraction…".

 

In 2001, Taik returned to Burma and had his first solo exhibition there after 30 years in America. He has since returned annually and holds annual one-man shows and group shows both in Rangoon and Mandalay. He conducts art workshops and forums at the Htanyeiknyo Art Center in Mandalay and is a member of the modernist New Zero Art Group.

 

Selected Exhibitions:

* Group Show - a.Muse Gallery - San Francisco, California

* 1964 State Annual Art Exhibition, Envoy Hall, Rangoon, Burma.

* 1968 State Annual Art Exhibition, Jubilee Hall, Rangoon, Burma.

* 1969 Private exhibition, sponsored by Pan American Airlines, Rangoon, Burma.

* 1969 Exhibition sponsored by U.S. Embassy, Rangoon, Burma.

* 1970 Expo '70, Osaka Trade Fair, Japan.

* 1970 Exhibition of Burmese Paintings, Alliance Francaise Rangoon, Burma.

* 1972 Annual Art Exhibition, Mandalay Town Hall, Mandalay, Burma.

* 1972 Galleria Heller, San Francisco, California.

* 1973 The Addison Greene Gallery, New York, New York.

* 1974 The Metzer Krasnow Gallery, Scarsdale, New York.

* 1977 Capricorn Asunder Gallery Group Show, San Francisco, California.

* 1980 Fukuoka Konnichino, Bijujsuten, Japan.

* 1981 One man show a~ Galleria Museo: Mission Cultural Center, San Francisco, California.

* 1987 Represented Myanmar at the National Poetry Week Festival, San Francisco, California.

* 1988 Native Symbols: An Exhibition of Drawings on Ceramic Plates, M. Sanchez Gallery, San

Francisco, California.

* 1989 The Poet as Artist- Artist as Poet: An art exhibition sponsored by the National Poetry

Association, San Francisco, California.

* 1989 Represented Myanmar at the National Poetry Week Festival, San Francisco, California

* 1990 Group show, Fort Mason Art center.

* 1990 Represented Myanmar at the "Poetry from the Pacific Rim"-San Francisco, California.

* 1990 Painted three 30x40 foot paintings for the National Poetry Association at Fort Mason-San

Francisco, California

* 1997 Pleasure of the Palettes-Group show-Phoenix Arizona.

* 2001 One man show-Htan Yeik Nyo Art Center-Mandalay, Myanmar

* 2004 Group show-Fresno Art Museum.

* 2007 New Zero Group show-Beikthanoe Art Gallery, Yangon Myanmar.

* 2008 Burma Now: Photo Show. -San Francisco Furniture Mart.

* 2008 Group Show-Beikthanoe Art Gallery, Yangon, Myanmar.

* 2009 Fresno Art Museum-One man show.

* 2009 Asean Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition, Yangon, Myanmar.

* 2009 Aung Aung Taik-Gustavo Rivera : Golda Art Space.

* 2009 Artist in Residence in Yangon, Myanmar conducting workshops and seminars.

* 2010 Installation Exhibition- Aung Aung Taik and Aye Ko- New Zero Art Space

* 2010 From 64 to 71 exh, Hong Kong

* 2011 Paper, Scissor and Glue- Bryant Street Gallery- Palo Alto Ca.

* 2011 Poetry in the Garden-Solo Reading- UC Davis, Ca.[13]

* 2011 Galaria de la Raza- San Francisco.

* 2011 International Art Show for Peace, Zacatecas, Mexico.