Htein Lin

Htein Lin, a versatile self-taught artist, diverse practice of painting, installation, performance and writing that together epitomise a profound odyssey characterized by resilience, creativity and dedication to social change. His artistic ingenuity flourished, during his seven years in prison on spurious charges, during which he utilized everyday items like bowls and cigarette lighters instead of conventional tools, he created striking paintings and monoprints on the coarse canvas of his prison uniform. His renowned series are "A Show of Hands", comprises hundreds of plaster sculptures taken from the hands of former Myanmar political prisoners,

"My Skirting the Issue" series, asks women of various ages, classes and backgrounds how they feel about the taboo of mixing men’s and women’s clothing in the wash, visually represented through portraits on their donated skirts. "My Recycled" series, uses cardboard created from recycled paper which illustrates words in Myanmar that resonate with him, such as peace, Rohingya, corruption, red tape, and "Reincarceration 000235" series, he utilizes a unique medium of found objects such as cigarette lighters and pill bottle lids to create marks and monoprints on the prison clothing. Htein Lin's art reflects his life story, personal traits, and strong commitment to his artistic practice while highlighting the difficulties experienced by his country.