The exhibition Made in Myanmar: The Art of Textile and Crafts is being organised by Sunflowers Group Social Enterprise, an umbrella organisation of 13 different groups that produce traditional arts, crafts, and textiles with the aim of preserving and promoting traditional methods of making textile, dyeing and weaving.

Sunflowers Group founder Daw Phyu Ei Thein said that Myanmar products have a reputation of being of cheap and poor-quality. They need to improve quality standards and build trust in Myanmar products.

Sunflowers Group offers courses on creating handmade products, environmental conservation, and promoting natural materials at Kachin camps for displaced persons, including Man Wan Gyi camp in Mansi township. The products will be on sale at the exhibition.

The group supports 10 students from Taunggyi and Amarapura (Saung Da) weaving schools to improve design and quality. The students will demonstrate their skills at the display.

Sunflowers will also open a weaving studio in Naung Shwe in early December to share traditional weaving and dyeing methods.

Sunflowers Group first displayed products from the Kachin camps and weaving schools at Myanmar Art Exhibition in Tokyo in October. The event aimed at introducing Myanmar arts and products to Japan, and profits will help fund monastic education in Myanmar.

The excellence of traditional textile techniques will be displayed at the exhibition starting from December 13 to 19 at the River Ayeyarwady gallery in Kyauktada township, Yangon.