"Solitary and destitute throughout his life, Bagyi Aung Soe probably never imagined the impact of his work on future Burmese artists and the success many now enjoy... Today, more than a decade after the death of illustrator, actor, teacher, and, above all, artist Bagyi Aung Soe (1923-1990), paintings by Burmese artists are fetching record prices in the local and international markets. Bagyi (Burmese for ?painting?) Aung Soe did not live to see his own work on display in museums and private galleries or to see his fellow artists shine in international art exhibitions. It probably never occurred to him that it could be so. When he passed away in Rangoon in 1990, he had just witnessed some of the most appalling events in recent Burmese history. Hope in his homeland?s future was bleak; the health of the country?s art community was the furthest thing on most people?s minds. Yet, he continued to express and create—if only on any scrap of paper that he could get his hands on..."