Where is the Real?

* Panel 1, Fake Painting: "Let me copy the original and sell it."

* Panel 2, Fake Music: "Let me copy the song and make a music album."

* Panel 3, Fake Leader:

"Was he elected?

"Nah, he chose himself as the president."

* Panel 4, Fake Buddha :

"Entrance Fees

Adult - 1000 kyats

Kid - 1000 kyats

Villager -  5000 kyats"

In a world increasingly plagued by duplicity, JMP, a Burmese artist, casts a sharp eye on the multifaceted phenomena of fakes and forgeries, both in the realm of art and in the corridors of power. His latest work is a compelling mosaic that juxtaposes the counterfeit in art and music with the more insidious fabrications of political authority and spiritual leadership.

Each panel of his cartoon strips away the veneer of legitimacy to reveal a common thread: the erosion of authenticity. The first panel indicts those in the art world who replicate masterpieces, selling them as their own, followed by a swipe at musicians who plagiarize songs, repackaging them for profit. JMP's pen points to a cultural malaise where creation is supplanted by imitation, and originality is overshadowed by mimicry.

But the critique ascends from the cultural to the political and spiritual realms with an acerbic wit. The 'Fake Leader' panel is a thinly veiled reference to the illegitimate usurpation of power in Myanmar, where leaders crown themselves without the people’s mandate, undermining the very foundations of democracy.

The final panel is a stark commentary on the commercialization of faith—a 'Fake Buddha' charging entrance fees, commodifying the sacred-- which has in recent years become an unfortunate reality in Myanmar. This is a potent metaphor for how spirituality, once the bastion of the inner self, has been outwardly monetized, betraying the core principles of Buddhism.

JMP's work is a clarion call for introspection. It urges us to question the legitimacy of what we accept as authentic, to challenge the ersatz elements in our society, and to demand a return to the genuine and the original. In Myanmar, where the political situation remains tenuous and the sanctity of religious practices is going through a profound transformation, this message is not just timely—it's imperative.

As we navigate through layers of JMP's artistic expression, we're reminded that the quest for authenticity is universal, transcending borders and cultures, and at greater risk when rule of law is undermined. It is a reminder that in a world of counterfeits, the search for truth, in art, in leadership, in spirituality, remains a pursuit worth undertaking.