Sai (b. 1991, Shan State) is a Burmese photographer and multi-media artist living in exile. After the 2021 Myanmar coup, Sai’s father — a state minister — was abducted by the military junta. Trails of Absence was photographed in secret inside the compound where Sai’s mother is held under house arrest. Sai escaped the country and is advocating for the release of his father and for other political prisoners in Myanmar. This work has been shown in exhibitions around Europe and Asia, and is comprised of two variations of the same series: images have been printed onto wallpaper which have been stuck to gallery walls, or printed onto textiles with appliqué using fragments of cloth from Burmese political prisoners. Images, statements, and explanatory texts are by Sai and are reproduced here with his permission.