Hla Htay was born in Paungde, Bago Region in 1961. As a child he learnt a lot from his
father, a commercial artist, and from a young age he believed he would devote his life to
art. Until 2004, he worked as his father had done as a commercial artist in Paungde. He
then turned increasingly to creative art, and following the death of his father in 2007
looked for opportunities to display his paintings in Yangon galleries. In 2014, he moved
to Yangon to connect more closely with the city’s art scene. His work resonates with
people because of his distinctive technique, use of colour, and skill in capturing
traditional subjects with his own style.