Ayaw Jaw Bah

Busui Ajaw’s practice relates to her unique upbringing. The artist is an Akha, a nomadic ethnic group from the highlands of mainland Southeast Asia, and is from a family of artisans. Coming from an oral culture, the practice of image-making was initially foreign to her. For SB2019, Busui Ajaw presents 'Ayaw Jaw Bah', a series of paintings and an installation. The paintings depict a tragic story of an intelligent Akha prince, stories of his son, as well as those of Amamata, the first mother. In the middle of the room stands a traditional spirit gate that the artist made to signify the boundary of the Akha village, to welcome the audience to the mythical world.