Mission 1, by Htein Lin

Htein Lin made this original painting in prison in 2000, using a toothbrush, and whatever acrylic paint he could get at the time. Two decades later, in 2023, he added layers of acrylic to a print, bringing the memory back into the present. The shapes are drawn from his imagination of the sky. In prison, he had time and little else, so he read science books especially about space. This work reflects a vision of a planet, not seen but pictured, traced from memory and possibility.

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.