Phyu Win

Year of birth: 1988

Your work explores complex emotions like grief, love, and peace. Can you walk us through your creative process when translating these feelings into minimalist art?

My creative process begins with stillness, both internal and external. I spend time reflecting deeply on the emotion I want to express, and let them sit with me. I don’t rush to paint them. I even write or meditate before I even approach the canvas.
From there, I reduce the emotions to its purest form. Minimalist art for me, is honoring the space between things. Human emotions are already very complex. This simplicity creates space for the viewer to breathe and to reflect. I want my work to carry a quiet presence, like a gentle pause in a noisy world.

How does your background in interior design influence your artistic practice, particularly in terms of space and balance within your paintings?

In design, every element has its own purpose. Every line, color, object and placement affects the functionality of a space and how it feels.
When I paint, I think carefully about how each element sits on the canvas. Every line, every empty space on the canvas is placed with care. I think of it like arranging a quiet room to refuge in. Design has also taught me that sometimes less can often say more, what’s left unsaid can be just as powerful as what’s shown.

Phyu Win | Heaven’s Little Guardians | 2023

In your artist statement, you mention that your works offer solace to those experiencing dark moments in their lives. Do you have a specific audience in mind when creating your pieces?

I create for the ones with silent grief, who smile through heartbreak, who wake up each day carrying something invisible but heavy. I think of people who are searching for a small amount of peace, a breath, a pause, a feeling that someone else understands.
My paintings are my way of sitting beside them, without needing to say a word, just offering quiet solace and presence.

Can you tell us more about the use of symbolism in your paintings? How do you choose specific elements to represent emotions such as grief or love?

In my paintings, symbolism often emerges through the use of space and nature. Sometimes love is in the light and endurance in the lone mountain peak. A vast green field or a clear blue sky calls for hope and resilience.
There isn’t a direct symbol like this means love or that means grief. Instead, my work speaks more in metaphors, where the overall scene carries the emotion.

Phyu Win | Still Getting You Flowers | 2024

The theme of impermanence is central to your work. How does this philosophy manifest in your art, and how do you hope viewers will engage with this concept?

For me, the idea of impermanence is a reminder that life is short, and everything we love is constantly changing.
I hope when people look at my work, they feel encouraged to slow down and really cherish the people and moments that matter to them. A gentle reminder to hold things close while they’re here, and to let go with grace when it’s time.

Many of your pieces convey a sense of calm and serenity. How do you balance the exploration of intense emotions with the need for tranquility in your work?

I think intense emotions don’t always need to be loud. For me, calmness isn’t the absence of emotion, it’s a way of holding it.
Instead of dramatizing them, I hold space for them without judgement. For me calmness is not the opposite of intensity. Calmness is a way to carry it with care.

How do you approach the idea of healing through art? Do you see your work as a personal form of therapy, or is it more about connecting with others who are going through similar experiences?

For me, painting is both a personal form of healing and a quiet way of reaching out to others. Everyone experiences and expresses their feelings differently, but I hope my work feels like an open hand. Something that says, ‘You’re not alone in this.’
I think there’s something universal in those emotions. We all experience loss, longing, hope. If someone sees one of my pieces and feels even a small sense of recognition or peace, then the work has done something meaningful.