Learn about the shwe jee doe kalaga – a spectacular embroidered textile crafted in Myanmar (Burma), the name of which translates to ‘gold thread embroidered hanging’ – currently on display at NGV International, and hear how it illustrates the deep influence of Buddhism on daily life.
NGV curator Wayne Crothers shares how this monumental, over four meter long, Burmese embroidery provides us with insights into late nineteenth-century Burmese society, religious beliefs, politics and craftsmanship.
This program is part of Melbourne Design Week 2026. View the full program
Wayne Crothers is Senior Curator, Asian Art at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). He spent a total of eighteen years living in Japan, including two years at Kyoto Seika University researching traditional Japanese art practices, completed a two-year Master of Fine Art Degree at Tama Art University in Tokyo, and lectured for six years at Musashino Art University in Tokyo. Recent exhibitions include Terracotta Warriors: Guardians of Immortality (2019), Cai Guo-Qiang: The Transient Landscape (2019) and Japanese Modernism (2020).