Shwe Wutt Hmon

Shwe Wutt Hmon

“This work is an uninhibited process of reflecting on my own mental being while being a part of my family’s journey through my little sister’s struggle with schizophrenia. It is a reflection of how I am going through with the support of loved ones and how I am also becoming a support for the mental wellbeing of loved ones. This process of going round in a circle and swirling inside it made me realize the cyclical nature of mental health. And the more mental health awareness I have, the more I can cope with my vicarious trauma. Only clouds know what I am going through,” Shwe Wutt Hmon.

Shwe Wutt Hmon is a photographer and mixed-media artist from Myanmar, currently based in Thailand. Her work explores collective histories, familial ties, and the intricate threads of human relationships, delving into the inner psyche through intimate storytelling about people and places close to her heart. She tells personal stories to connect with broader social issues and creates social documentaries informed by her own position within them.

While photography remains her primary medium, Shwe also incorporates archives, video, text, poetry, painting, and drawing, often in collaboration with others.

She is the recipient of the Objectifs Documentary Award (Open Category, 2020) and the inaugural Julius Baer Next Generation Art Prize (2021). Her work has been exhibited internationally at venues and festivals including the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (2020), Aichi Triennale (2022), Thailand Biennale, Chiang Rai (2023, Zomia Pavilion), Singapore International Photography Festival (2020), Photo Australia International Festival of Photography (2022), ArtScience Museum Singapore, Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, Photoforum Pasquart, Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam, and the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation.