When exile becomes a place of creation
From July 30 to August 2 , bringing together the works created 2026, the Galerie Retour De Voyage will host an exceptional artist residency bringing together five Burmese artists now living in France.
For several days, Kyar Pauk, Thoe Htein, Wooh, Chuu Wai and Mayco Naing will transform the galleries of La Maison sur la Sorgue, creating in full view of the public, engaging with visitors, and share a rare opportunity : to witness the birth of a work of art.
This residency invites you to step into the daily lives of artists who, despite living in exile, continue to make creation a realm of freedom.
Five journeys, five disciplines, one shared freedom
They were all born in Burma. They left their country at different times, for different reasons, but each of them has been affected by the upheavals that continue to shape Burma today.
Yet, nothing unites them more than their desire to create. They do not form an artistic school. They share neither the same techniques, nor the same influences, nor the same subjects.
One comes from music, another from comics, another from contemporary photography, while others work in performance or painting. This diversity is at the heart of the richness of this residency.
It reveals that contemporary Burmese art cannot be reduced to a single aesthetic or political narrative. It is diverse, vibrant, inventive, and deeply connected to the wider world.
The Residency Artists
Chuu Wai, a leading voice in contemporary Burmese art
Painter, performer artist, and muralist, Chuu Wai has developed a deeply engaged work centered on the status of women, individual freedom, and memory.
Her work examines invisible forms of violence, social norms, and systems of oppression, while never losing its powerful visual impact. Through painting, installation, performance, and participatory art, she creates spaces for dialogue and reflection.
Her work, exhibited in numerous countries, has made her one of the most distinctive voices in the contemporary Burmese art scene.
Kyar Pauk, Painting as an extension of music
A leading figure in Burma's cultural scene, Kyar Pauk first gained recognition as a singer, songwriter, and founder of the rock band Big Bag.
Yet his creative universe extends far beyond music. Writer, illustrator, graffiti artist, and painter, he approaches every medium with the same sense of freedom.
His paintings emerge from spontaneous gestures, instinctive energy, and a constant drive to experiment. Bold colours, free-flowing forms, subtle humour, and a critical perspective come together to create a visual language that refuses to recognize boundaries between artistic disciplines.
Mayco Naing, Photographing the memory of exile
Photographer and visual artist, Mayco Naing has spent several years exploring the human consequences of political violence and exile.
Her photographic series examine fear, resilience, the place of women, and the reconstruction of identities.
Her work consistently favours sensitivity over spectacle. Each image invites viewers to look beyond the event itself and uncover the individual stories hidden within.
Through this residency, she will continue to explore these themes in dialogue with the other invited artists.
Thoe Htein, Between illustration, Pop Art, and social engagement
A professional illustrator, comic book artist, and painter, Thoe Htein belongs to a generation of artists who have reshaped the image of contemporary Burmese art.
Influenced as much by Pop Art as by the great masters of graphic novels, he creates works where bold colours meet highly sophisticated compositions.
Since the coup of 2021, his work has gradually taken on a stronger political dimension, while never losing its graphic power.
Each image tells a story, sometimes with humor, sometimes with gravity, always with a remarkable mastery of drawing.
Wooh, The art of storytelling through images
In Burma, Wooh is best known as a comic book artist. Together with his wife, he has created and published hundreds of illustrated stories that have left a lasting mark on generations of readers.
Now based in France, he continues to explore the relationship between illustration, graphic storytelling, and contemporary art.
His characters, expressive and instantly recognizable, combine poetry, irony, and a keen observation of society.
His work reminds us that drawing is one of humanity's most universal languages.
A residency open to the public
Throughout the residency, visitors will be free to move around in the gallery, observe artists at work, ask questions, and discover the artworks as they take shape.
A canvas may evolve from one hour to the next. A drawing may emerge before the eyes of the public. A photograph may find its place within an installation still in progress.
This shared experience lies at the very heart of the residency : revealing not only the artworks themselves, but also the gestures, uncertainties, exchanges, and encounters that bring them into being.
A dialogue between the artists
This week will also feature several events open to the public :
- The opening reception for Khin Zaw Latt's exhibition, The Strength Within Silence.
- A roundtable discussion hosted byBruno Philip, writer and former senior foreign correspondent forLe Monde, featuring the exceptional participation of Wendy Law-Yone, a leading figure of Burmese literature in exile. The six artists will come together to discuss creation, of memory, and exile.
- An exceptional sale, on August 2 , bringing together the works created, during the residency. A unique opportunity to acquire a work of art whose creation visitors will have had the chance to witness.
When art resists
This residency is not simply a testimony to Burma. it tells the story of artists’ ability to continue creating when everything seems to call for silence.
By welcoming these five artists, each with such distinct journeys and backgrounds, La Maison sur la Sorgue, reaffirms a belief that has guided Galerie Retour De Voyage since its opening : art travels more freely than borders, and every encounter offers it a new territory in which to exist.