Singapore Art Museum’s exhibition Everyday Practices features three collected works from Myanmar: Soap Blocked (2016) by Htein Lin, Bicycle Tyre Rolling Event from Yangon (2013) by Moe Satt and Time: Dust (2017–19) by Min Thein Sung. Beyond their different media and practices—ranging from carved blocks of soap, documentation of site-specific performances, and meticulous collections of dust on canvas—these artworks are nonetheless vessels of time. They are gatherings, markings, and assemblages of time as lived through and understood by the respective artist. And from these assemblages, we, the viewers, are granted glimpses of eras long past yet prominent in memory; eras that have been frozen in repetitive loops; and eras the artist themselves have left behind.

A Map of Soap

Hundreds of bars of soap have been arranged on the floor to form the map of a country we now know as Myanmar. Mounted on the wall is a poster of a block of soap. Curiously, the soap has been carved into a captive little man squeezed by four walls, his shoulders staunched, knees folded, and arms bent. The image captioned “Prisoner in a Jail” prompts a closer look at the floor-bound map. All the blocks of soap, most of which are in different hues of yellow ochre, have the captive human carved into them as well. Then one notices that 21 of the blocks are red:

1) Putao
2) Myitkyina
3) Khan Di
4) Katha
5) Bhamo
6) Shwebo
7) Lashio
8) Mandalay
9) Myingyan
10) Kalay
11) Sittwe
12) Kyaukpyu
13) Thayet
14) Taunggyi
15) Taungoo
16) Tachileik
17) Tharyawaddy
18) Insein
19) Myaungmya
20) Pathein
21) Mawlamyaing

Installation view of 'Soap Blocked' by Htein Lin, as part of ''Everyday Practices' at Singapore Art Museum, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

These are the names of notorious prisons and detention centers across Myanmar, known for rampant torture and wretched conditions.¹ The poster image is the original soap carving by the artist, Htein Lin, that was given to a delegate from the International Committee of the Red Cross during a prison visit in 1999.² This enlarged image looms on the wall, hovering over the map of soaps that lay below almost in veneration to it. It recalls the original moment when Htein Lin swiftly nudged this soap bar to the passing foreign visitor through rusty prison bars: an act of defiance, a documentation of prison conditions, and a symbol of his resilience.

Born in 1966, Htein Lin’s first involvement in political activism began with the 1988 protests against the socialist government of Burma, which by then had effectively become a full-blown dictatorship. The currents of the 1988 revolution took Htein Lin to the borderlands of the country to join student-led anti-government movements.³ After many harrowing experiences, he left the jungle and returned to Yangon to finish his law degree in 1992 and since then had decided to become a full-time artist. However, Htein Lin’s political past caught up with him, and under the watchful and suspicious eyes of state surveillance, he was arrested and thrown into Mandalay Central Prison on spurious charges in 1998. He was later transferred to Myaungmya Prison after 2000, and was finally released in 2004 after spending nearly seven years behind bars.

For Htein Lin, making art in prison was a series of experimentations, compromises and connections. He befriended prison guards to help him bring colours in from the outside, as well as to smuggle his finished artworks out to safety. In a place where brushes and canvases were scarce, his inmate friends supplied him with their prison uniforms (consisting of white cotton shirts and sarongs) and used syringes. The situation forced Htein Lin from a painter to a multimedia artist, using anything and everything he could have access to including toothbrushes, cigarette lighters, soap bars and his own hands and fingers. These humble objects themselves are telling of the prison conditions in Myanmar. In a 2008 interview with The Guardian, Htein Lin stated, “In my paintings I wanted to describe life in jail, to show the reality of the situation."⁴ 

Htein Lin’s first paintings in prison were inward reflections about his immediate family. His daughter was just 18 months old when he was arrested, and he worried how his long absence could impose societal prejudices upon his family. He then began capturing the torrid prison conditions and stories of other prisoners in his work. From then on, his work expanded outwards: with tens of thousands of prisoners in terrible jails, he has situated his own story as one of many. Fully embracing his role as archiver and storyteller, his work pays tribute to all the people who have gone through detention systems in Myanmar. His 2013-present work, A Show of Hands, took on a social approach: he travelled around the world to collect plaster casts of former political prisoners of Myanmar.⁵ 

Soap Blocked (2016) was commissioned for the 2016 Singapore Biennale and took a more material-focused approach with its emphasis on the yellow soap, “Shwe Wah.” The soap is symbolic of the Burmese socialist era (1962‒ 1988). The name translates quite literally to “Golden Yellow” and refers to the colour of the soap bars. Shwe Wah is symbolic of the one-party socialist regime that promoted an all-national economy controlled only by the government. With its trademark musty scent, Shwe Wah pervaded the everyday of Burmese lives along with surveillance, censorship, weekly rations of home goods and gas and the propaganda of “the Burmese Way to Socialism.”⁶ 

Close-up view of 'Soap Blocked' by Htein Lin, as part of Everyday Practices at Singapore Art Museum, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

The socialist government collapsed in 1988 and in 1989, the new military regime changed the name of the country from Burma to Myanmar. While the nation has a new name, Shwe Wah as well as other devices and systems that emerged during the socialist area have remained intact, arguably more brutal than ever before. Although not as widely used today, Shwe Wah endures in government institutions as a basic detergent. During his seven years in prison, Htein Lin also received staple rations of Shwe Wah. Unlike earlier iterations of Soap Blocked which only consisted of Shwe Wah, this 2016 version also features the red “Carbolic” soap representing the 21 prisons.⁷ Produced by the same state-controlled factory as Shwe Wah, Carbolic is known for its antiseptic properties. Following the socialist government’s slogan that prisons are places to cleanse sins, Htein Lin used these red Carbolic bars to mark the prisons on the golden Shwe Wah map of Myanmar, presenting a sombre twist on the nation known as the “Golden Land.”

Looping Histories

The almost three-decade long socialist era of Myanmar was marked with scarcity: from daily necessities, technology and education, to modern art and children’s toys. Even when scarcity had been slowly alleviated over the years, the memory and fear of it remained deeply engraved. In the midst of such angst, Bicycle Tyre Rolling Event from Yangon took place in 2013.

In the work, Moe Satt dons an over-the-top traditional attire: a gaung-baung headdress, a tike-pon coat, a silk longyi and a pair of new slippers to complete the look. This special attire is only worn by grooms at their weddings or by ministers when attending parliament. Moe Satt extends a stick from his dominant hand, balancing an old bicycle tyre. “Gwye” is slang for tyre, and the game of rolling the tyre is called “gywe hlein.” A popular game for children during the socialist and post-socialist eras when foreign goods were rare, the aim was to keep the tyre rolling for as long as possible. Children of that time were conditioned to keep themselves entertained with what was available from a young age. Likewise, artists like Htein Lin and Moe Satt have also learned to utilise what was at hand.

In almost all his performances, Moe Satt wears traditional attire. He has described himself to be known for doing “strange things in traditional clothes.”⁸  In Bicycle Tyre Rolling Event, he juxtaposes his extravagant outfit with the destitution referred to through the gywe hlein game. He then moves on to present this juxtaposition, featuring himself, at four different locations across Yangon:

Moe Satt. 'Bicycle Tyre Rolling Event from Yangon (Bogyoke Aung San's Bronze Statue)'. 2013. Print on dibond, 91 x 60 cm. Collection of Singapore Art Museum. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

1) Bogyoke Aung San’s Bronze Statue

The life-sized bronze statue of Bogyoke Aung San is located in a small park of the same name on the northern side of the larger Kandawgyi park. The statue depicts Aung San in military uniform with one hand stretched forward in a gesture akin to that of a father counselling his sons or a general guiding his soldiers. The bronze plaque on the pedestal reads: “The Pioneer of the Union, General Aung San.” The irony here is that while Aung San is considered as the father of the nation and the founder of the Burmese military, he is also the father of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Mirroring Aung San’s figure, Moe Satt with his right hand stretched out, is playing gywe-hlein in front of the statue like a child fitted in grown-up clothes who ignores cautionary tales from elders, or like an adult who has given up the wicked logic of the grown-up world.

2 Inya Lake
The second location is on the banks of Inya Lake, the largest lake in Yangon with its own profound social and political past, as well as myths and mysteries.⁹  Created by the British as a water reservoir in the late 19th century, Inya Lake today has become one of Yangon’s most popular dating spots—one of the country’s rare public spaces for young people to gather. Moe Satt himself frequented the place with his wife. The lakeside has also been a prime address for foreign embassies and residences for diplomats. The socialist dictator Ne Win himself lived on the lakeside, not very far from the most prominent lakeside address: the residence of Aung San Suu Kyi, where she endured years of house arrest.

3) Kandawgyi Lake
Kandawgyi Lake is a smaller man-made lake also created by the British. The dibond print of Moe Satt’s performance at this location depicts the artist playing gywe-hlein along the signature wooden bridge of Kandawgyi Lake Park. In the background, afloat on the lake’s surface, is Karaweik Palace —a large boat adorned at each side by two mythical ducks. The Karaweik is a replica of the royal barge used by Burmese kings. Known for his penchant for royal regalia, Ne Win had the Karaweik built in 1972. With its attached restaurant, the barge catered exclusively to foreign tourists and Yangon’s high society.

4) Independence Monument
The final location of Moe Satt’s performance was the Independence Monument, located in Maha Bandula Park in downtown Yangon. Built in 1948 to commemorate Burmese independence from the British, the obelisk has symbolically replaced the statue of Queen Victoria. Wrapped around the foot of the obelisk and etched in marble are speeches and (unfulfilled) promises by Prime Minister Nu and General Aung San. The persistence of the etched texts itself presents a paradox in Burmese history as Nu’s post-independence government was the one that was usurped by Ne Win in 1962. ¹⁰ 

Moe Satt rolled his bicycle tyre through these different spaces with contesting narratives, meditating on the constant rise and fall of people and powers in unceasing repetition. No public space is ever simple in Myanmar, and these spaces have also been prime protest sites throughout the many revolutions and anti-government protests in the country. Born in 1983, Moe Satt grew up under the shadows of the 1988 revolution, witnessing an older (Htein Lin’s) generation succumb to ruthless crackdowns and incarcerations. In 2007, Moe Satt experienced the Saffron revolution firsthand and in 2021, he himself was jailed for 90 days due to his participation in the Spring revolution protests in Yangon. After this experience, Moe Satt remarked that he was proud to be “a mini-political prisoner,” alluding to the lineage of Htein Lin and other artists, poets, and politicians that served long sentences in Burmese prisons.¹¹ Bicycle Tyre Rolling Event is a visual statement about rolling through history, a contemplation of generational trauma and inherited socio-political burdens jammed in a never-ending loop.

In the progression of contemporary Myanmar performance art history, Moe Satt identifies himself as part of the second generation, which emerged after 2000. Moe Satt explained in a 2009 interview that while the first generation of performance artists from Myanmar—which includes artists like Aung Myint, Htein Lin and Phyu Mon—deals almost exclusively with political issues, his generation attempts to move away from politics, navigating multi-layered conceptual realms.¹² However, we also see Moe Satt struggle to divorce himself from the politics of Myanmar which his life and career are inextricably tied to. His recent solo exhibition at Delfina Foundation London, Rest the Thumbs on Cheekbones (2024), is representative of the artist’s own push-pull with history, memory, and politics.¹³ 

Both Htein Lin and Moe Satt rely heavily on symbolism in their works, either present in the artworks’ materiality or the artists’ bodily gestures. These symbols stand in to describe the indescribable, representing un-representable Myanmar-centric conditions. Hence, when viewing these artists’ works, it is important to read up and educate oneself about what has been happening in Myanmar and the contesting perspectives and to keep in mind that these artists’ interpretations of their Myanmar might not be an all-inclusive reflection of the country. This caution is especially relevant in light of the 2021 coup and subsequent revolution, where contexts have shifted and an even younger generation has stepped as the vanguard. Myanmar’s historical progression may have been jammed in a loop. But conceivably, the loops are not identical.

Time to Dust

Installation view of 'Time: Dust' by Min Thein Sung. as part of 'Everyday Practices' at Singapore Art Museum, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

The Time: Dust series of Min Thein Sung can only be truly appreciated in real life. The series was first exhibited at the Singapore Biennale 2019. Of the full set of 27 dust-on-canvases, SAM has acquired 11. At first glance, the works look minimalist. Only at close proximity does one realise that the pigment on the surfaces is not paint but layers upon layers of accumulated dust.

Min Thein Sung is a hairsplitting perfectionist, and the process of making these dust paintings is as fascinating as the final outcome. The artist stretched each canvas himself, matching the weave of the canvas grain to the corners of the frame. Each canvas follows a strict schedule, with each section of the canvas being exposed to dust at specific times for set durations. For example, no. 11—one of the smaller square canvases that depicts twelve circles of varying shades—is a record of the moon phases.¹⁴ At the back of the canvas a note has been left by the artist: “Full Moon Day of Tabaung, 1377.”¹⁵ An intricate system of tiny magnets, strings and sheets were employed to prevent any imprinting of fingerprints when exposing the designated areas for dust collection. The artist even designed and made special boxes to transport the works.

Min Thein Sung. 'Time: Dust (no. 11)'.2017‒2019. Dust, canvas and cotton. Collection of Singapore Art Museum. Image courtesy of Singapore Art Museum.

Each of the canvases from the Time: Dust collection is a carefully controlled environment. We see here the raw tensions between the unrelenting flow of time and the nature of impermanence against the artist’s obsessive desire to be in control: from concept and process to movement and presentation. He wanted the fate of the artwork to be in his hands only; to make even time bend for his practice. Min Thein Sung’s spontaneity and meticulous hands-on practices are well-known. For his soft-sculpture series Another Realms (2011‒ 2018), he took to the sewing machine himself—without any prior experience—to create the gigantic fabric installations.¹⁶ 

While it is in the nature of many artists to be as visible as possible—to have artist talks and interviews, to be open to exhibitions and opportunities—the enigmatic Min Thein Sung has committed to doing the complete opposite. His most active years as an artist was the ten-year period from 2010 to 2020. Since then, he has gone completely quiet. A close friend of the artist disclosed that Min Thein Sung has left the art world behind, assuring that this exit is not because of feelings of bitterness and dissatisfaction. Min Thein Sung has simply moved on to another phase in life. He has since returned to his hometown and has been taking time to build a house for himself.¹⁷ If he could, he would even like to erase the few traces of him that remain online. For him, a time has passed, a chapter closed.

Three artists. Three artworks. Time is remembered. Time is looped. Time turns to dust. Everyday Practices runs from 30 August 2024 till 20 July 2025 at Gallery 4, Singapore Art Museum, Tanjong Pagar Distripark. Click here to find out more.

Artist Bios
Min Thein Sung (b. 1978, Myanmar) creates works that draw on daily life in Myanmar, addressing complex histories of a country that was long isolated from the world. Often playful and poetic, his works conjure up patterns of creativity and modes of imagination that circulate under restrictive political regimes. His works are often inspired by memories of his childhood and a desire to find respite in the present moment.

The practice of Burmese artist Htein Lin (b.1966, Myanmar) runs the gamut of painting to installation to performance. Having participated in the failed uprising of 1988, he was forced to flee underground, spending several years in refugee camps on the border. He escaped and returned to Yangon in the early 1990s but was again arrested and jailed on charges of opposition activity. He subsequently spent almost seven years behind bars and was released only in 2004. During this time, he developed his artistic practice by using materials he could find in prison such as prison uniforms and soaps. After his release, he moved to London in 2006 but returned to Myanmar in 2013.

Moe Satt (b.1983, Yangon, Myanmar) is a visual and performance artist whose practice explores 20th century history in Myanmar. He is the founder of ‘Beyond Pressure,’ an international festival of performance art in Myanmar. As an artist, he has performed in galleries and staged guerrilla performances on the streets of Yangon. He has actively participated in live arts festivals in Southeast Asia and South Asia.

Author Bio
Diana Nway Htwe is an art historian, curator, and writer who periodically oscillates between contemporary art and Buddhist heritage studies. She graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (2020), Shan State Buddhist University (Taunggyi, 2024), and is currently at the Courtauld Institute of Art, London, pursuing her masters in Art History and Conservation of Buddhist Heritage. Her curatorial projects include Moe Satt’s solo If I Say It’s True Seven Times (Yangon,2018), Rahula Retrospective (Yangon, 2022), and /Shi (Yangon, 2022). She is currently brewing POLLINATION Edition 4 with ‘in-tangible institute.’

Endnotes
¹ “Prison Conditions,” Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, accessed November 15, 2024.https://aappb.org/?page_id=7720
² The object is now kept at the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum. Mayou, Roger, “Prisoners’ Objects: The Collection of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Museum,” International Review of the Red Cross 98, no. 903 (2016): 749–60.
³ Htein Lin’s harrowing tale about his time in the All Burma Students’ Democratic Front (ABSDF) can be read in the graphic novel, Pajau. Htein Lin and Wooh, Pajau (Yoke Pya Publishing, 2020).
⁴ Mark King, “Captive art in Burma,” The Guardian, March 1, 2008, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/mar/01/burma-art.
⁵ Martin Schulze, “Burmese artist Htein Lin & his powerful hand sculptures,” 31 December, 2019, https://publicdelivery.org/htein-lin-show-of-hands.
⁶ Thant Myint-U, River of Lost Footsteps (Farrar, Staus, and Gioux, 2006), 339– 373.
⁷ See Soap Blocked (2015) for comparison, https://artasiapacific.com/shows/silent-for-a-while-contemporary-art-from-myanmar.
⁸ “Moe Satt in Conversation with Sam Gaskin”, Ocula, December 14, 2015, https://ocula.com/magazine/conversations/moe-satt/
⁹ “Secrets of Inya Lake”, Frontier Myanmar, November 23, 2016. https://www.frontiermyanmar.net/en/secrets-of-inya-lake/
¹⁰ Thant Myint-U, River of Lost Footsteps (Farrar, Staus, and Gioux, 2006), 339– 373.
¹¹ “ ‘I am proud of myself as a mini political prisoner’: Artist Moe Satt on his gruelling time in a Myanmar prison,” The Art Newspaper, November 15, 2021, https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2021/11/15/im-proud-of-myself-as-a-mini-political-prisoner
¹² “Like a Fever: Interview with Moe Satt,” Asia Art Archive, November 1, 2009, https://aaa.org.hk/en/like-a-fever/like-a-fever/interview-with-moe-satt
¹³ Erin Li, “On relating across bodies and contexts: Moe Satt’s first solo show in Europe,” Stir World, 7 November, 2024. https://www.stirworld.com/think-opinions-on-relating-across-bodies-and-contexts-moe-satt-s-first-solo-show-in-europe?utm_source=stirworld_&utm_medium=STIRfri_Exclusive
¹⁴ The artworks do not have individual titles. This artwork has the accession number: 2020-00358-011.
¹⁵ “Tabaung” on the Burmese calendar is roughly the Gregorian equivalent of March. The Myanmar year 1377 is the Gregorian equivalent of 2016.
¹⁶ For more information on the Another Realms series of works, see https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/another-realm-horses-from-another-realm-series-min-thein-sung/cgFLIM37bPqU1A?hl=en
¹⁷ Informal conversation between Min Thein Sung’s friend and author, May 27, 2024. The friend would prefer to remain anonymous.