Unsung Heroes

This series of five digital artworks was inspired by the Unsung Heroes report for AAPP, which was published in November 2024. I had the opportunity to speak with the report’s author, who worked on this project for AAPP in Mae Sot. I was commissioned to create the cover art for the report, and during our discussions, we brainstormed ideas to visually capture the powerful stories shared within it. These conversations led to the creation of this artwork series. The report focuses on the stories of individuals who have been at the forefront of Myanmar's revolution but have endured severe human rights abuses at the hands of the military. These stories highlight the complexity and intersectionality of the violence suffered by detainees and political prisoners. Together with the author, we identified five categories of victims from the report to focus on, each representing a unique aspect of the struggle. The art series explores five themes, on stories of resilience, detainment and injustice. The first theme highlights political prisoner writers and poets who amplify stories of resistance, featuring the poetry of Hnin Kar Moe, a prisoner in the 1990s. Using collages of his poem “Evil” and imagined depictions of his prison cell wall, the art envisions how he might have expressed himself if allowed to write while detained. The second theme focuses on survivors of sexual violence committed by soldiers. Presented as a journal-style book, it combines sketches and the handwritten texts from the news articles, to imagine how a detained woman might narrate her nightmares. The third delves into pregnant women who lost their lives or their babies in prison due to inadequate medical care. Stencil-style drawings, photographs, and quotes from reports convey their tragic experiences. The fourth honors journalists arrested during protests. Inspired by their fight for press freedom, the works incorporate my archived photographs from the protesting days and depict their struggles through symbolic imagery. The final theme addresses individuals who were brutally set on fire and killed, often in unreported incidents. Using drawings on newspaper-style collages and cut-out articles, the pieces commemorate these unseen victims of immolation. Blending abstract expression with real-life elements, the series captures the raw experiences of detained individuals. The theme aligns with the title Unsung Heroes—individuals who became heroes without recognition or celebration. I express this through deeply personal and understated art, using their belongings and stories to honor their quiet bravery. Link to the report by AAPP - https://aappb.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/unsung-hero.aapp_.pdf