Moat Thone
Born 1956, Pakokku, Magway Division, Myanmar
Moat Thone is a Myanmar modern and contemporary artist known particularly for his watercolor paintings, drawings, and editorial illustrations. He was born in 1956 in Pakokku, Magway Division, in central Myanmar.
From 1973 to 1976, Moat Thone studied painting at the Mandalay Fine Arts School, where he graduated with a major in painting. His artistic practice has developed across several forms, with watercolor remaining an important medium throughout his career.
Moat Thone has held numerous solo exhibitions in Myanmar. His eighth solo exhibition was held at Lokanat Galleries in Yangon in 2011, while his ninth solo exhibition, The Buddha and Mara, the Archangel of Evil, was presented at Lokanat Gallery in 2014. The exhibition consisted of twelve watercolor paintings exploring episodes from the life of the Buddha and the encounter between the Buddha and Mara. Speaking about the series, Moat Thone emphasized his fascination with drawing and line, explaining that he uses subjects such as the Buddha and related figures to give meaning to the lines he draws.
Alongside his fine-art practice, Moat Thone has worked extensively as an illustrator, producing images for books, magazines, and other publications. This long engagement with editorial illustration has also influenced the way he approaches painting, particularly his interest in observation, drawing, and the visual character of everyday subjects.
His work has been included in a number of exhibitions in Myanmar and internationally. These include Myanmar Modern at The Myanmar Gallery of Contemporary Art in Singapore in 2005, the Burmese American Art Exchange in Yangon in 2008, and Myanmar Contemporary Art Exhibition: 6th Anniversary at Suvannabhumi Art Gallery and Chiang Mai University Art Center in Thailand in 2010.
In January 2026, Moat Thone presented his twelfth solo exhibition, Landscapes, at Adjective Gallery in Yangon. The exhibition brought together his landscape paintings and editorial illustrations. The works included urban scenes, streets, forests, mountains, and rivers, reflecting his longstanding interest in observing and drawing the world around him.
Moat Thone’s practice is closely associated with watercolor and drawing, but his work extends beyond the conventional boundaries of watercolor landscape painting. His approach combines direct observation, expressive line, and subjects drawn from everyday life, Buddhist imagery, urban environments, and the natural landscape.
Selected exhibitions:
2026: Landscapes, 12th Solo Exhibition, Adjective Gallery, Yangon, Myanmar
2014: The Buddha and Mara, the Archangel of Evil, 9th Solo Exhibition, Lokanat Gallery, Yangon, Myanmar
2011: 8th Solo Exhibition, Lokanat Galleries, Yangon, Myanmar
2010: Myanmar Contemporary Art Exhibition: 6th Anniversary, Suvannabhumi Art Gallery / Chiang Mai University Art Center, Thailand
2008: Burmese American Art Exchange, Yangon, Myanmar
2007: Moat Thone Water Colour Show, A.Z.L.A Office & Gallery, Yangon, Myanmar 2005: Myanmar Modern, The Myanmar Gallery of Contemporary Art, Singapore
Education: 1973–1976 Mandalay Fine Arts School, Myanmar Major in Painting