Mission 2, by Htein Lin

Mission 2

While in prison, Htein Lin read science books that described planets, satellites, and outer space. That reading fed his imagination, and he began dreaming of travelling to other worlds. This painting is one of those imagined missions.

The circular forms were printed using a toothpaste cap. The fine lines were drawn using the cigarette lighter wheel: ordinary objects turned into tools in prison to create a different universe. This is not just about space, but about escape, invention, and the freedom of thought in a place where other foms freedom was otherwise.

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.