TinTin (b. 1972) is a conceptual artist born in Rangoon, Burma, now Yangon, Myanmar. In 1996, TinTin moved to New York City to continue his higher education, earning his liberal arts associate's degree at a community college shortly after arriving State-side. Throughout the '90s, TinTin immersed himself in the NYC art and music scenes, working with various local and international artists as an assistant and associate. These early experiences as an insider of the City's transgressive and political art scene of the 90s influenced TinTin's artistic development and laid the groundwork for his conceptually driven studio practice.
In 2010, TinTin co-founded New York City-based art space art@apt. alongside fellow artist ChawEi Thein. At art@apt., TinTin curated numerous exhibitions featuring Burmese artists and organized events for Burmese musicians, actors, poets, and filmmakers. From 2010 to 2016, art@apt. organized and hosted a wide range of weekly events—from artist talks and documentary film screenings to poetry readings—that transformed the DIY art space into a vibrant hub of the NYC Burmese artistic community and a much-needed platform for underrepresented Burmese creatives.
In 2016, TinTin embarked on a journey across the American Southwest, visiting Arizona, New Mexico, Utah, and Colorado. During his travels, he became captivated by the culture, history, and landscape of the Southwest, particularly the rustic materials of the region, like weathered wood, cowhide, and stone. His western expedition proved transformative and led him & his partner to relocate to Santa Fe, New Mexico. In June 2017, they established Studio Mudra, an art gallery in downtown Santa Fe.
At Studio Mudra, TinTin curated numerous exhibitions featuring local Santafean artists and photographers. The gallery also represented the works of Indigenous artists, which fostered a vibrant conceptual discourse between the local arts community, TinTin's studio practice, and the rich cultural heritage of the Southwest. Through collaboration with local arts organizations, such as the Santa Fe Artists Society, Studio Mudra became an active participant in the Santa Fe art scene.
Since TinTin's relocation to Santa Fe, the artist's studio practice has drawn deep inspiration from the Southwest's vast skies, vivid colors, and intricate patterns. Over the past eight years, TinTin has immersed himself in the culture and history of the Southwest, an experience that has broadened his artistic perspective and deepened the concepts driving his creative projects. In his art, he works with rustic elements and found objects that reflect the natural beauty and spirit of the region where he now works and lives. Conceptually, his work blends his Burmese heritage with the influences of the American West, resulting in an artistic vision that resonates with both the past and the present.
