Playground, by Htein Lin

Playground.

In this painting, Htein Lin portrays various pieces of playground equipment, inspired by memories of his daughter playing. The lines were drawn by imagining the curves and motion of a roller coaster she once rode in a playground.

Inspired by a sweet memory of his daughter, this suspended work evokes movement, lightness and the continuity of life beyond walls.

Imprisoned for nearly seven years for his beliefs, Htein Lin created a body of visual work in captivity that is striking in its inventiveness. With no brushes or canvas, he devised techniques using whatever was at hand: lighter wheels, syringes, soap, nets, fragments of mirror, and paint either found or bartered. These makeshift materials became the tools of a deeper quest—to stay alive inside, to keep thinking, to remember, to forgive. His artistic practice is deeply rooted in Buddhist values of compassion, clarity, and non-violence.