Young Thai artists Suwit Maprajuab and Peerawayt Krasaesom invite the viewer, through individual and distinctly compelling styles of work, to feel the fear and flounder in uncertainty in an exhibition entitled “Sawatdee Anxiety”.
Suwit Marprajuab, ‘Fogus’, 2014, discarded oil tanks. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
From 7 June to 15 August 2014, Whitespace Gallery Bangkok features two Thai artists who separately address issues of social anxiety in an exhibition entitled “Sawatdee Anxiety“. Coincidentally born in the same year and harbouring similar sentiments about their country and the world, Suwit Maprajuab and Peerawayt Krasaesom use different styles and media to present a powerful dual show encapsulating issues of violence, death, sex and greed.
Suwit Maprajuab: Oil and gas tanks
Suwit Maprajuab (b. 1981, Thailand) works with his signature medium of discarded oil and gas tanks. His colourful sculptural installations are eye-catching yet hauntingly eerie, confronting the fact that man-made materials constantly inflict harm upon the environment.
Suwit Maprajuab, ‘Thirsty’, 2014, discarded oil tanks, 70 x 50 x 100 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Important issues such as pollution, global warming and climate change are prominent in his work, forcing audiences to consider the violence and greed that arise over the politics of energy dependence.
Suwit Maprajuab, ‘Gift to the sea 1′, 2014, discarded oil tanks, 20 x 120 x 100 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
The artist constructs graceful, brightly coloured marine creatures that are deceivingly playful, belying the dark themes that inspired the works. Only upon close inspection do viewers realise that the sea creatures are made up of dirty oil tanks.
Suwit Maprajuab, ‘Gift to the sea 2′, 2014, discarded oil tanks, 20 x 120 x 100 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Suwit Marprajuab, ‘Kingdom’, 2014, discarded oil tanks, 90 x 140 x 200 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Suwit Maprajuab graduated with an MFA from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts at Silpakorn University. He has received several awards for his sculptures and recently his work has been exhibited at the Maduzi Hotel Art Fair and The National Gallery in Bangkok, Thailand.
Peerawayt Krasaesom: Violence in our DNA
Peerawayt Krasaesom (b. 1981, Surin, Thailand) lives and works in Bangkok, but is originally from a simple background. Having grown up in a small village in the Surin province, his artistic style often reflects the struggle and confusion that inevitably accompanies the move to a large city. In a wider context, his work embodies the trauma of violence and questions its roots in human nature.
Peerawayt Krasaesom, ‘How far’, 2014, pen and acrylic on paper, 70 x 100 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
For this exhibition, Peerawayt created a series of intricate pieces in acrylic and ink. The elegant, sophisticated details here also belie heavier themes.
Peerawayt Krasaesom, ‘Battle’, 2014, pen and acrylic on paper, 30 x 40 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Peerawayt Krasaesom, ‘Last Nuclear’, 2014, pen and acrylic on paper, 70 x 100 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Machine guns, tanks and nuclear explosions are ingeniously broken down into cellular structures, which are uncomfortably reminiscent of microscopic views of human blood cells. Such works raise questions as to the inherently violent nature of human beings, specifically asking whether violence is built into our DNA.
Peerawayt Krasaesom, ‘Heart Shot’, 2014, pen and acrylic on paper, 36 x 36 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Meanwhile, abstract images of humans, animals and plants invite viewers to think about how we are required to constantly adapt in order to survive.
Peerawayt Krasaesom, ‘Napalm Girl’, 2014, pen and acrylic on paper, 30 x 40 cm. Image courtesy the artist and Whitespace Gallery Bangkok.
Peerawayt Krasaesom has exhibited widely in Thailand as well as in London, most recently at the Maduzi Hotel Art Fair, Jamjuree Gallery Bangkok and Bangkok University Gallery.
Michele Chan
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Related Topics: Thai contemporary art, found objects, sculpture, acrylic art, ink art, art and the community, art and the environment, art and violence, gallery shows, picture feasts, events in Bangkok
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