Monica Denevan’s work emerges from a deeply personal and sustained engagement with Burma, where she first traveled in 2000. Initially captivated by the serenity of the landscapes and the understated elegance of the people, her perspective shifted as she learned more about the country's complex political backdrop. Rather than reproducing the often bleak and politicized narratives that dominate media portrayals, Denevan chose to focus her lens on the individuals she encountered in rural riverside communities. Her black-and-white photographs, intimate and stylized, depict the people she came to know over years of return visits—fishermen, friends, and familiar faces—revealing a quieter, more human story rooted in place, tradition, and connection.
Presented across three rooms—Flow, Harmony, and Connection—her series Songs of the River: Portraits from Burma invites viewers into a visual rhythm shaped by light, form, and trust. In Flow, the river becomes both a literal and symbolic lifeline, grounding the viewer in the daily rhythms of working families. Harmony highlights the seamless integration between people and their environments, with Denevan’s photographic style evoking the composed elegance of editorial imagery. Finally, Connection bridges the personal and communal, rural and urban, offering a glimpse into the resilience and intimacy of those living through changing times. Through her lens, Denevan doesn’t just document—she collaborates with her subjects to craft images that are as much about presence and dignity as they are about place.