Myanmar [Burmese] Artists | Htein Lin
Htein Lin
was born in 1966 in Mezaligon, in Myanmar’s Northern Irrawaddy
Delta. His interest in art was innate as Htein Lin has
stated that he was imbued with creativity since birth. A
student activist, Htein Lin spent a number of years as a
refugee in the jungles of Northern Myanmar and was imprisoned
as a result of his protests against the atrocities and
injustices perpetrated by Myanmar’s military junta against
fellow students and contemporaries. It was while in prison
first in Mandalay in 1998 and later while in Yangon, where
he developed his iconic style of painting, improvising by
using prison uniforms as canvasses and a variety of found
objects as well as his fingers in lieu of paint brushes. Htein Lin is highly regarded for his performance art, a
genre that he pursued through the many years. Htein Lin and
Chaw Ei Thein met while law students at Yangon University.
After his graduation in 1994 he continued his artistic
pursuits with numerous exhibitions as a painter and as a
performance artist in Myanmar and abroad. His highly regarded
international art practice include his 2007 solo exhibition
at Asia House, London and his participation at the 2010
Singapore Fringe Fest where he presented his site specific
installation, Scale of Justice. Htein Lin’s artworks are
included in numerous important art collections in Europe and
in Asia.
