Locked and Loaded

Ever since Myanmar was occupied by the military in early 2021, the public has had to bear the brunt of the militia’s ruthlessness. In “Locked and Loaded,” the artist brings to life a real experience that he had on 14th March 2021.

The artwork features a person carrying a spray can and gas lighter ready to attack. It captures a single moment during a protest in Yay Kyaw - what started out as a peaceful protest escalated into a violent encounter when the militia attacked the protesting public with tear gas and grenades.

The artist remembers abandoning the work of setting up barricades using sandbags, stuffed barrels and bags of concrete to hide in a nearby hair salon. The person in the painting bears a resemblance to the protestor the artist saw while hiding in the hair salon. Unafraid of the attacks by the military, the protestor was ready to launch his own attack to save the people under attack.

In “Locked and Loaded,” the artist seeks to honour and congratulate all such brave-hearts who put their country and their fellow citizens over their own safety. While the military may be ready to launch an assault on the public, the artwork shows that the public is locked and loaded to fight back as well.

Aung Khant

“What I can say about my artist life is an alternation of Nietzschean Apollonian and Dionysian phases with a nihilist twist which means I’m a great admirer of Rick Sanchez’s “Wubba lubba dub dub!” and Jordan Peterson’s debates on free speech, which represent my view about the current Burmese art scene”, Aung Khant.

Colourful and animated imagery created with striking contrasts and rebellious motifs, Khant’s artworks are characterised by comical elements and styles inspired by Kerby Rosanes, Keith Haring and Jean DuBuffet. His activist artworks embody his personal experience during the coup, his diverse life philosophies and a nostalgic collection of Burmese comics, horror books and video games from his childhood.

Aung Khant started “doodling” during his university years driven by his exhaustion about traditional painting methods. His doodles were quite popular at that time among young people for their extremely complex structures. He also worked with multiple local clothing brands and organisations with his design.

Graduated from University of Arts and Culture Yangon with B.A. in Painting, he made the first solo show in Yangon during the third year of university. Being a full time arts teacher, he was a passionate art educator. He co-founded an artist organization called “JINN” where he wrote educational pieces about modern and contemporary art. He also volunteered to teach arts in rehabilitation centres and monasteries.

Based on our agreement with the artist, 15% of the pre-VAT price excluding frames will be donated to support the social movement. Donation will be given to the National Unity Government of Myanmar ("NUG") Campaign UK.