Poem of Dancer Thin Thin Kyu, by Htein Lin

While the universities reopened in 1994 and Htein Lin returned to finish his law degree, he joined the Art Association. From the start of his studies in 1985, he had also participated “Anyeint”, a form of performance that blends a female classical dancer with four comedians. Thin Thin Kyu was one of the leading university dancers at the time, and she often performed on stage alongside Htein Lin, the comedian.

During these performances, he would follow her every move. She often opened the show with a solo called the “Ta Pin Tine” a traditional dance that marked the beginning of the performance. In that dance, the dancer first casts a soft, sideways glance toward the audience, then gently turns inward just as the music begins, and the dance unfolds. He would sketch the “Anyeint” dancers, which became an ongoing series.

Htein Lin and Thin Thin married in 1996, after graduating, and their daughter was born in 1997. Later, after his arrest in 1998, while he was writing about life inside prison and remembering stories from outside, he found himself drawing her again in prison, using the implements to hand. This piece was created using the wheel of a lighter dipped in paint, rolled carefully across the canvas to form fine, parallel lines. With limited paint, the composition remained minimal, but the circular and flowing movement is graceful and strong like Thin Thin.