The artist

Born in 1988, the year of Myanmar’s iconic student uprising and the brutal crackdown by the military, Kue Cool's recent drawings rage against the return of dictatorship to Myanmar. Through her art, she rebels peacefully and powerfully against the military coup and against injustice and corruption in Myanmar. She holds tremendous hope for the power of creativity to inspire her country’s young generation: “Good news! It’s time to get back at the generals in a direct way. I’m so happy and inspired by our new Generation Z. We will win this time!”

Selected works

The Spring Revolution Collection was developed feverishly during the 2020 coup in Myanmar and quickly became iconic among protestors who used its images to protest ongoing injustices. With the first image Kue explains 'People are banging pots and pans every night at 8 pm to show resistance against the junta. They also do this at night if the police or soldiers come to arrest people. Pots and pans are a well-known tool of social movements and protestors. In Myanmar, it carries the additional meaning of beating a drum or similar noise, which is a traditional way to chase away evil'.

GALLERY

In Fighting for Land, Dreaming of Peace, Kue illustrates the life of a Kachin land rights activist in northern Myanmar. As part of PRIO's TRANSFORM project, which examines how individuals inspire collective action in times of conflict and civil war, Kue’s drawings portray the emotions between fear and courage that characterize so many of Myanmar's activists and social struggles.