News and Views
The article from the Nikkei Asian Review
Nikkei Asian Review talks to Gill Pattison about her most recent art adventure - opening River Gallery II in a converted colonial building in downtown Yangon.
http://asia.nikkei.com/Life-Arts/Arts/Treasures-along-Yangons-riverfront
A New Chapter for Chindwin Chambers as River II
Looking for new premises close to the original River Gallery in The Strand, we had come across the Chindwin Chambers in the road right next to the hotel, three minutes walk from the gallery. The elegant three story colonial building caught our eye, and we noticed that one section at the north end of the building was home to an office with just a few workers. We tracked down the owners and discovered that they were amenable to relocating these employees and renting out the space to us for a new gallery.
The renovation was relatively minor, just waterproofing the structure, taking out some internal partitions, fixing the wiring, making new doors and painting and plastering to give us large flat white walls. The room has beautiful proportions with 18 foot ceilings and a length of over 120 foot, which spans the whole block giving us access onto both 38th Street and 37th Street. These are charming old lanes, where local life goes on uninterrupted. I enjoy sitting at the desk in the middle of the gallery, able to see out both ends to the streets where people walk by, street vendors sell their wares, and the local dogs guard their territory.
We're looking forward to hosting various events and functions at River II , so that a wide range of people can come and enjoy the re-purposed space and help give downtown Yangon a bit more of a buzz.
Interview with Mizzima Business Weekly- Oct, 2013
Gill Pattison chatted with Mizzima Magazine about grand opening of River Gallery II.
Myanmar artists on display in Chennai- India
Our partners in India - the Calcutta Arts Club - have mounted "From Myanmar with Love", a show featuring five leading Myanmar artists from River Gallery: Zaw WIn Pe, Maung Aw, K. Kyaw, Than Kyaw Htay and Aung Myint. Pls visit the following links to review the journalist's delighted reactions of the show.
http://www.thehindu.com/features/friday-review/art/a-slice-of-culture/article5170993.ece
http://newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai/Burma-bazaar-makes-a-brief-halt-in-Chennai/2013/09/26/article1803414.ece
Review- Wonder in the Land- Group Exhibition, Canada
A lot has happened in Burma, also known as Myanmar, since the East Gallery first introduced Burmese contemporary art to Canadians in 2011. After five decades of censorship, Burmese artists are relishing a somewhat greater freedom of expression and the increased international attention being paid to the country’s vibrant art scene. "Wonder in the Land", the East Gallery’s third group show of contemporary Burmese artists, features new work by 5 leading artists, all of whom have had considerable international exposure and success. Visitors will experience a range of styles and themes from abstract to expressionistic, and from landscapes to street scenes.
https://rivergallerymyanmar.com/images/stories/rv.pdf