Because the Shaman Said SoMeet Aye Woon and Lun Meh. These two Palaung sisters apply Thanaka before heading to work each day on their family’s green tea farm deep...
Like Father, Like Son“I have been using the same design since twelve years old.” Now 35, Aung Ko continues to wear the exact design he has sported since...
A Natural LegacyMeet Myint Myint Khaing and, her baby, Thaw Tar Aung. She, like most Burmese women, lovingly puts Thanaka on her infant every day. Myint...
The Royal City of DemocracyMeet Ma Ni Myint. She is one of hundreds of landscape laborers that keeps the newly constructed capital city of Nay Pyi Taw neatly...
When the Dogs Were Barking, We Had to Run into the Forest“I first saw Thanaka come to this village when I was 21 years old,” recalled Nang Pwan. Now a seasoned 82, this Pa-O woman has seen a lot...
How Does Thanaka Find Its Way into Virtually Every Burmese Market?Meet the beautiful Khin Mar Win. She is a Thanaka saleswoman in Mandalay but is originally from Pakokku – an area famous for producing...
Trailing Ax Sai Through an Evolving Landscape“My brother and I wear the stripes because we want to look like the American soldiers in the movies!” laughed Ax Sai. A lighthearted Shan...
Blurred LinesMen do not wear Thanaka. Thanaka is a thing reserved for women. These are statements we have been told frequently in many parts of...
Red Spot RemedyMeet Ko Aung, a young broker at the famed Mandalay Jade Market. Just as he goes to the market every morning, he told us he never forgets...
The Wife of a Third-Generation Tattoo MasterMeet the wonderful Daw Khin Aye. She was born and raised in Taunggyi, the mountaintop capital city of Shan State. She is an Intha woman...