2007年VOA标准英语-Burmese Artist Shows Prison Era Creations in Lo

By Suzanne Chislett
London
29 August 2007
 
The southeast Asian nation of Burma is famously secretive. A military government has run the country since the army put down anti-government riots in 1988. The opposition¹ party leader Aung San Suu Kyi has spent much of the last two decades under house arrest and many of her supporters have been jailed. Among them is artist Htein Lin. He is now based in London where he is exhibiting work created during his years in prison and smuggled³ out of the country when he left. Suzanne Chislett reports for VOA.

Htein Lin

Htein Lin's work includes images of life inside Burma's prisons and his hopes for freedom. The 41-year-old artist spent six years in jail as a political prisoner before a review of his case in 2004 led to his release.

A contemporary artist, known widely in Burma before his detention⁴, Htein Lin says he could not face the prospect⁵ of life without expressing himself through art while his comrades outside continued their work.

"I thought they forgot me,” he recalls, “so that is why I really wanted to tell them, 'I am here. Don't forget me.' So that is why I really wanted to do something inside as artist. And then I started to look for how I could I do that without material in the cell."

Lin demonstrating how he made his peacock painting

His ingenuity⁶ in managing to create the art works from a prison cell is nothing short of astounding⁷.

"I found some piece of glass, I found some kitchenware. I found a cigarette lighter⁸. I used that. But if I couldn't get the cigarette lighter or something. I can use my body."

Htein Lin used dinner plates, bowls, syringes taken from the hospital wing and cigarette lighter wheels. His canvases were prison uniforms, bedrolls and bamboo mats – many provided from other prisoners who would trade him materials for cigarettes and money. He built up a relationship with some of the guards who would smuggle² in paint, and smuggle out his artwork.

A portion of one painting that emphasizes the prison experience

One work is a self-portrait with a difference. It shows Htein Lin's face at the base of a peacock -- the symbol of Burma's National League for Democracy party. It won a landslide⁹ election in 1990, but the country's military regime prevented the party from taking power.

Htein Lin pressed his face into the bottom of the canvas. He used his feet to create peacock heads; bowls and plates for the feathers. It is his favorite work on display here.

But Htein Lin regards himself as an artist, not a political activist¹⁰, though he concedes political events can inspire great works.

A portrait of Aung San Suu Kyi made with thread

Another portrait shows Nobel peace prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Burma's National League for Democracy. She has spent 12 of the last 18 years under house arrest.

Htein Lin had no access to photographs during his time in jail. So he asked other inmates¹¹ for their memories of her appearance and used a needle and thread to create the piece.

On his release from prison in 2004 Htein Lin held small exhibitions of his art in the Burmese capital, Rangoon.

But he said he was warned it could get him into trouble with authorities and eventually his work was brought safely to Europe. "Just some artists and some of my comrades who lived in prison – they are former political prisoners. So I invited them and that was the show – only one day."

Htein Lin's prison artworks are currently being shown at Asia House in London – an organization that works to bridge gaps between western and eastern cultures.

1 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

2 smuggle   

vt.私运；vi.走私

参考例句：

• Friends managed to smuggle him secretly out of the country.朋友们想方设法将他秘密送出国了。
• She has managed to smuggle out the antiques without getting caught.她成功将古董走私出境，没有被逮捕。

3 smuggled   

水货

参考例句：

• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Those smuggled goods have been detained by the port office. 那些走私货物被港务局扣押了。 来自互联网

4 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

5 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

6 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。

7 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

9 landslide   

n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票；一面倒的胜利

参考例句：

• Our candidate is predicated to win by a landslide.我们的候选人被预言将以绝对优势取胜。
• An electoral landslide put the Labour Party into power in 1945.1945年工党以压倒多数的胜利当选执政。

10 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

11 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》