Wallpapering Jim McNalis’ hallway are photographs documenting 10 years of trips to Burma, now called Myanmar, a large Asian country on China’s southern border.

The laughing schoolchildren in one photograph belie the difficulties of life in Myanmar. The plights of its people and the hope of one woman, Aung San Suu Kyi, are the inspiration for many of McNalis’ sculptures.

“Accidently, I’m documenting the hot shots for democracy,” said McNalis, who lives in The Carlyle in Fort Lauderdale. “When I travel, I get all this energy from the people, then I get back to my studio and use it.”

His favorite work is a bust of Suu Kyi, created with Myanmar soil pilfered from famous shrines and the banks of the Irrawaddy River.

“The whole world knows about Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, but no one knows about her,” McNalis said. “What a role model for young girls.”

McNalis’ art career was not always so controversial. He came to Florida in the early 1970s to be an art director for Disney. With his inner nomad itching to move, McNalis resigned and began traveling the world. He came upon a Burmese refugee camp in 1988 and became interested in helping its residents.

“Art is the only thing that makes my life work," McNalis said.