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Portraits of the Anonymous

Virginia Woolf once said, ‘For most of history, Anonymous was a woman’.

In her first solo show in Australia, Shwe Wutt Hmon presents photographic portraits of female photographers, filmmakers, photojournalists and artists. These women worked earnestly to document the civilian resistance during the recent coup d'état in Myanmar. The coup d'état began in February 2021, when Myanmar's military deposed the democratically elected government.

Each portrait is overlayed with an image of the coup, taken by the portrait subject. The portraits are accompanied by written testimonies, which evoke the struggles, strengths and contributions of women working in photography in Myanmar.

The portraits will be suspended from the gallery ceiling, echoing the civilian protests in Myanmar during the Spring Revolution. Protesters strung up longyi on lines across the streets to slow down police and soldiers. Longyi are a type of garment worn by women, similar to a skirt. Walking beneath these garments is traditionally considered bad luck for men.

This exhibition is presented in association with International Women’s Day.

This exhibition has been supported by Canson and Kayell Australia.

 

Contact

Counihan Gallery
Phone: 03 9389 8622
Email: CounihanGallery@merri-bek.vic.gov.au

Further information

For exhibition updates you can follow the Counihan Gallery Instagram page. You can also go to the Counihan Gallery Facebook page.

For more information about the artist, you can visit Shwe Wutt Hmon's website.

Read an interview with Gallery Curator Victor Griss and artist Shwe Wutt Hmon (Doc 83Kb).

This exhibition is in the Front Gallery.