On February 1, 2021, in the midst of the European lockdown, news of a military coup in Myanmar hit the screens, bringing an abrupt end to the once called “democratic transition”. In a few days, the violence of the military dictatorship slaughtered what suddenly appeared to have been an illusion, massacring many hopes.
Documenting the present was impossible. Revisiting my Burmese archives of the past decade proved unsettling. The recent events had disfigured the past and the threats had become blinding. I then began to compose these diptychs in an attempt to understand.
These diptychs weave moments together, revealing shadows, telling the tale of that time. What remains is the light, an emotion, a place, and the longings for happiness that define the human condition.
This series is dedicated to the people of Myanmar once again in darkness.