Multicultural Arts Victoria presents, as part of the Emerge Festival...

Love Burma Love Freedom - Exhibition

Exhibition Opens: Tuesday 16 June, 5.00pm - 7.00pm
Exhibition Runs: 16 June - 27 June 2009

Gallery: fortyfive downstairs, 45 Flinders Lane Melbourne 3000

Fisher - by Andrea Draper

"Love Burma Love Freedom it's about the rich culture of the South East Asian country…the people and culture of Burma." Andrea Draper, digital artist.

Catalogue & Media Release

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Photograph by Timothy Syrota

Burma

For more than five decades, Burma has been caught up in political and armed conflict between the ruling military regime, political opponents and ethnic groups, which has resulted in the displacement of millions of Burmese. More than 100,000 Burmese people are living as refugees in the nine camps along the Thailand Burma border.

Although Burmese refugees have settled in Australia since the 1960s, recently the Australian government is accepting a larger number of Burmese refugees. As a result, Australia, and particularly Victoria, has seen a growth in new arrivals who have added to these vibrant Burmese communities.

Raining it's Pouring,
Maie Ra La Muang Refugee Camp, Thai-Burma Border, 2007 (photograph by Timothy Syrota)

Artists

Love Burma Love Freedom brings together three creatives working in different disciplines; Andrea Draper a digital artist with Burmese origins, Saw Chu Cil a refugee painter who lives on the Thailand Burma border and Timothy Syrota an author, photographer & film maker whose work has focused on Burma since first visiting the country in 1997.

Through different styles, this exhibition explores preconceived ideas about the people of Burma, looking at more than just the political problems of the troubled nation. From three different view points, this is an exhibition that celebrates the people and the spirit behind the news headlines.

The exhibition is presented as part of Multicultural Arts Victoria’s Emerge Festival which commemorates UN World Refugee Day, occurring in Refugee Week to celebrate and showcase the contributions of newly arrived refugee communities to Victoria's cultural life.

Photograph by Timothy Syrota

Further media information

Multicultural Arts Victoria, 9417 6777

Produced and presented by

Multicultural Arts Victoria www.multiculturalarts.com.au

Supporters

The project is supported by City of Melbourne, Victorian Multicultural Commission, and Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria.