A Summer Marked by Exile and Creative Resilience
This summer, Galerie Retour De Voyage invites art lovers to an event combining an exhibition and artist residencies. The season will open in mid-July with « The Strength Within Silence » an exhibition by Burmese painter and sculptor Khin Zaw Latt.
Born in 1980 in the Irrawaddy Delta, he first learned painting alongside his elder brother before continuing his studies at the University of Arts in Yangon. His works have since been exhibited in Thailand, Hong Kong, the United States, Canada and France, notably at Galerie Retour De Voyage.
At a young age, his series « Blissful Buddha », « Moving Forward » and « Street Story » received several awards, while he simultaneously committed himself to supporting the development of art in Myanmar through the creation of schools and art galleries. For Retour De Voyage, he will present next summer a new body of work exploring exile, resilience and the eloquence of silence, after exhibiting in 2023 of his series « Dream for Peace ».
« The Strength Within Silence » – exhibition from July through August 15, 2026
The opening reception for Khin Zaw Latt’s exhibition will take place on Thursday, July 30 in the presence of the artist. His paintings, shaped by luminous shades of grey and symbolic motifs, reveal the inner world of a creator deeply marked by resilience. Expect a poetic immersion where silence itself becomes a form of strength…
« Creation in exile » residency – July 30 to August 3, 2026
Beginning on 30 July, five artists from Myanmar (Burma) – Kyar Pauk, Thoe Htein, Wooh, Mayco Naing and Chuu Wai – will invest in the Maison sur la Sorgue for a collective residence.
The theme: « Creation in Exile ».
Over four days, each artist will explore their own « inner territories » : how does one inhabit a mental space when geography disappears? What memories, identities, or ruptures continue to shape artistic creation when exile unsettles everyday life?: how does one inhabit a mental space when geography disappears? What memories, identities or ruptures continue to shape artistic creation when exile unsettles everyday life?
The artists will arrive with works already created, to be exhibited starting Friday, July 31. Then, comes the live creation process : on friday, saturday and sunday, the Maison sur la Sorgue will transform into an open studio. Visitors will be able to witness paintings, drawings, and perhaps installations coming into being - while meeting and speaking with the artists themselves.
The residency will conclude on Sunday 2 august with a festive evening and a auction of works produced.
Round Table : Perspectives on Exile, Memory and Artistic Creation
Beyond the artworks themselves, the residency will offer a unique opportunity for dialogue. Gallery Retour De Voyage will host a round table moderated by Bruno Philip, writer and former journalist with Le Monde, Having spent many years reporting from Asia, he brings a deep understanding of the political, cultural and human realities of Myanmar.
What does it mean to create far from one's homeland? How can an artist continue to paint, write or compose after leaving behind a language, familiar landmarks, and, often, part of their family ? How do you build a new life without letting go of your memories ? Is exile solely a wound, and a constraint, or can it also become a space for freedom, resilience and artistic renewal ?
By reservation, on 31 July from 7 p.m..
What we don't know yet...
Exile is a journey without a map. This residency is as well.! We do not yet know what kinds of works will emerge, nor what shape the dialogue between the artists will take. That uncertainty is precisely what makes the experience so compelling: each day will bring unexpected conversations, experiments, discoveries and moments of shared humanity. As Khin Zaw Latt says, « When territory becomes mental, memory and emotion begin to draw the map ».
In short, we are preparing a summer filled with encounters, shared experiences and artistic creation at the Retour De Voyage gallery. Save the dates, pack your imaginary suitcase, and join us in L'Isle‑sur‑la‑Sorgue ! Art in exile has rarely felt so alive.