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Caricature: drawing fun at your expense
(Volume 26, No. 520)
Caricature artist Sai Soe Kyi looks from a door at his home in Yangon on April 22. Caricature artists are often met with hysterical laughter or outright anger when they present a customer with their finished portrait. Pic: Christopher Davy
SAI Soe Kyi really knows how to bring out the best in people, or the worst. The veteran caricaturist is one of a small group of Myanmar artists dedicated to a drawing form that may not bring much in the way of financial reward, but certainly creates a few laughs. Or not.
The artist has plenty of stories about people being unhappy with his work. It’s seems the common complaint is not the quality of his drawing but the funny depictions of oversized features that so mercilessly prey on people’s greatest insecurities about their physical appearance.
Sai Soe Kyi began his career at home in Hopin village, Chin State where he would draw caricatures of the locals for free as a means of honing his drawing skills. The artist, who has been drawing caricatures at Mr Guitar bar on Sayasan Road, Bahan township since 2002, believes that good caricature is being able to focus in on the details and then exaggerate them.
“Everyone has both weak and strong points. Caricature is a stinging satire on those who are drawn since the artist explicitly highlights the person’s failings rather than their good points,” he says.
Working as a caricaturist has taught him how to observe people, something which is crucial when it comes to choosing how far to go with a caricature. If a girl drags a comb through her hair or a man neatens his collar before posing in front of the artist then he must tread carefully because these people do not generally appreciate cruel depictions.
“If a person understands the depth of caricature art, I can draw a cruel or funny caricature of him, for example we have drawn cruel caricatures of a number of famous writers, which is fine for the persons who have been drawn,” says Sai Soe Kyi.
“Through caricature, an artist can present a person’s past life no matter whether it is a bowl of cherries or a dog’s life. Most people are broad-minded and they derive some pleasure from gazing at their caricature regardless of whether it is cruel or funny,” he adds.
Cartoonist and caricaturist Moe Htet Moe believes that this open-minded attitude is essential for people looking at caricatures.
“Men have a very tolerant attitude towards overstated pictures of themselves while women do not. In Myanmar, people are not particularly familiar with caricature, which can be insulting, funny and exaggerated. It’s people’s nature to prefer portraits that are nicer looking. Most women look disapproving when they are shown their pictures,” he says.
This often happens at fun fairs where some women leave unsatisfied with the funny portrayal of them.
“Artists in foreign countries draw candid, funny and cruel caricatures of leaders, celebrities and politicians. However, ridiculous caricatures are not widely accepted here,” he adds.
Although there are plenty of caricaturists around, few newspapers or magazines print their work, argues Moe Moe Htet. Most publications prefer to take images from the internet rather than pay for a caricature. So the artists must now rely on making drawings at fairs or hotels.
