Another Family

Wars scatter families in dierent ways _ some dead apart and some alive apart. People in different parts of Myanmar , such as northern Shan State, Kachin , Rakhine have been suffering from the civil wars for more than 6 decades. As the consequences of long-time war, absence of safety, collapse of business and lack of opportunities forced the families from those war torn regions especially Northen Shan State to send their children away from war. Zabu Oak Shaung nunnery becomes the home for the hundreds of girls from war-torn Shan State.

To be honest, like most photographers, I went up to Zabu Oak Shaung Nunnery School with the expectation of sad displaced stories and visualizing ahead to see the depressive lost childhood from the ethnic nuns. Being a Burmese majority, I would have end up with my presumed angle of displaced story. But I trust shooting this kind of complex ethnic issues in a rush can trap me as a parachaute story teller and I will never get a true picture. With the help fo the nunnery head, I could have a chance to give 3 weekend basic photography training to the nuns who are interested in photography. This way, they opened the door for me to see their world. The more time I spent with them, the more I understand how little I know about them and also found out my preassuemd story idea is totally wrong. War sucks and make their families scatter but life goes on. Contrary to my expectation, I find the beauty of sisterhood and very special bound among nuns who’ve come from different ethnic minorities. I feel privilege to see the beauty out of darkness, love and sisterhood among them and their resilience as well.

To be honest, like most photographers, I went up to Zabu Oak Shaung Nunnery School with the expectation of sad displaced stories and visualizing ahead to see the depressive lost childhood from the ethnic nuns. Being a Burmese majority, I would have end up with my presumed angle of displaced story. But I trust shooting this kind of complex ethnic issues in a rush can trap me as a parachaute story teller and I will never get a true picture. With the help fo the nunnery head, I could have a chance to give 3 weekend basic photography training to the nuns who are interested in photography. This way, they opened the door for me to see their world. The more time I spent with them, the more I understand how little I know about them and also found out my preassuemd story idea is totally wrong. War sucks and make their families scatter but life goes on. Contrary to my expectation, I find the beauty of sisterhood and very special bound among nuns who’ve come from different ethnic minorities. I feel privilege to see the beauty out of darkness, love and sisterhood among them and their resilience as well.

Thanlyin, Yangon, Myanmar 2019