Live Performance, The Cluster Art Festival, IFB Yangon

2015

Drawing significant inspiration from *The Second Sex* and *A Room of One's Own*, this piece explored the themes of female sexual and intellectual freedom amidst the backdrop of gender-based violence in Myanmar. Growing up surrounded by the cultural influences of four religions—Islam, Buddhism, Animism, and Christianity—I found that womanhood, both personally and within my community, is often stripped of the freedom to express our perspectives or live according to our own beliefs. In Myanmar's society, women are still viewed as the "second sex."

In my performance, I emphasized this concept by repeatedly stating "second sex" in Burmese while physically confronting my body's limitations. I wrapped my eyes with a military belt over a pink plastic bag, symbolizing the constraints placed upon me. Throughout the performance, I sought to empower myself by reflecting on the interplay between logical thoughts and emotions, the concepts of "second" versus "equal," and engaging in a stream-of-consciousness approach.