As one of the few items capable of freely passing in and out of a cell, prison linens have long been dangled as a trope of potential escape—whether that release comes through the form of a knotted rope ladder or a noose. Htein Lin used prison-issued cotton cloth to propose a different form of escape. In 1988, the artist, then a law student, participated in the 8888 Uprising, a protest movement against the political party that had held Myanmar since 1962. In the aftermath, Htein Lin spent two years in refugee camps on the Indian border, where he embraced his early passion for art.
Htein Lin returned to Myanmar only to be later accused of inciting protest against the government. He served over six years in prison. During this time, Htein Lin continued his creative practice, conceptualizing performances, editing a samizdat publication, and putting on an exhibition. While there were limited resources for production, the artist experimented with the potential for expression, taking up objects like bowls, cigarette lighters, and carved soap to create prints on linens, which were then smuggled out.
This selection of Htein Lin’s Prison Paintings bears the artist’s testimony ofthe time spent behind bars. The cruel conditions are reflected in the Guernica-style gaping mouths, the contortions of bodies warped by hunger and deprivation. Figures and faces emerge from coiled patterns, only to sink back into the compositions. And yet, Htein Lin does not relinquish his humanity. Buxom dancing girls and tender family scenes speak to a longing for companionship and intimacy, while a work like The Escaping Soul (2)—a face formed from two footprints—insists on the artist’s ability to be both present and absent.
The 13th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art takes place from June 14 to September 14, 2025 and is curated by Zasha Colah. Valentina Viviani is the Assistant Curator.
The Fly will be on show at KW Institute for Contemporary Art, and the selection of Prison Paintings will be at the Former Courthouse, Lehrer Straße until 14 September 2025.