| Tradition and History | ||||
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A reminder of the past: Here you see a Burmese Muslim man displaying the shot pellet removed from his leg after arriving to America---one of nine that tore through him as he was shot by Burmese soldiers and left to die. Here some Karen demonstrate their traditional "stick dance" on World Refugee Day. Captured vividly in the artwork of artist Kyaw Win is a history of his people and his family: Back in his Rakhine village in Arakan state, the sight of these fishing boats was common. This next painting by tells the story of the 2007 protests which led to a violent crackdown and forced artist Kyaw Win and his family to flee to Thailand. Here a friend and I celebrate at the Burmese new year Thingyan Water Festival. Though a traditional Buddhist holiday, Burmese of all ethnic groups and religions celebrate this day with party and music. Most importantly, the festival is all about throwing around lots of water until everyone is drenched by the end. The second Thingyan Water Festival was held at a local park in Clarkston. Here you see the kids getting soaked! This Kachin couple invited us to attend their wedding in which they included traditional elements such as the bride placing a woven bag around the neck of her new husband. It represents his obligation to provide for her since he should fill it with his earnings. Artist Kyaw Win paints a picture of the housing in the refugee camps in Thailand to which he and his family fled. Most of the refugees from Burma have spent the majority of their lives farming. Some, like this Chin familiy here, have had the chance to continue the use of their farming knowledge in a commuinty garden in Clarkston. Here they can grow expensive or hard to find items like hot chilis and greens from their country. | |||
