Imhathai Suwatthanasilp
Imhathai Suwatthanasilp is a contemporary artist born in Bangkok in 1981. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Thai Arts with 2nd Class Honours, and a Master’s degree in Thai Arts from Silpakorn University, Bangkok. In 2006, she won a scholarship to the Exchange Program at Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux Arts, Paris, France. She also received a scholarship from the Government of Italy to study the Marble Carving Program at Florence, Italy in 2009 and obtained a Certificate in Marble Carving from Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Italy.
Since her first solo show in 2008, Imhathai has developed a signature mode of production using human hair, often her own, which she weaves, crochets, embroiders or laces into quiet, intimate two and three-dimensional works that reflect on the nature of familial ties, domestic life, the female body and feminine identity. Intimacy also characterizes Imhathai’s works on paper, often referencing the landscape and natural world around her farm in Lamphoon, in the countryside in northern Thailand.
Her works have been exhibited at art events and venues including International Incheon Women Artists Biennale 2009, Incheon, Korea; Busan Biennale 2010, Busan, Korea; NCA Nichido Contemporary Art, 2010, Tokyo, Japan; Coreana Museum of Art, Space*C 2011, Seoul, Korea; Museum of Contemporary Art and Design 2011, Manila, Philippines; Singapore Art Museum 2012, Singapore; Jakarta Biennale 2017, Indonesia. She was selected for the Bangkok Art Biennale 2018. In 2019, her works were presented at the Songkhla Pavillion, Venice Biennale. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Singapore Art Museum, Maiiam Museum and The art of the city of Gothenburg, Sweden.
Artist Statement
This set of drawings was created after I moved from Bangkok to Lamphoon. My studio is located among the natural environment which really impressed me. I observed the changing of things around me, rice field, flowers, plants in everyday. I saw the process of growth, beauty, movement and life and tried to portray them with drawings using simple lines on paper.
Jiratchaya Pripwai
Jiratchaya Pripwai was born in 1983 in Kalasin, Thailand and moved to Chiang Mai when she was four. She received a Bachelor degree in Fine Art (Painting Major) from Chiang Mai University and a Master degree in painting from Silpakorn University, Thailand. She has received several awards in Thai national art competitions and exhibitions. She won the First Prize of the 10th Panasonic Contemporary Painting Exhibition, Thailand in 2008 and received the scholarship of General Tinsulanonda, Statesman of Thailand. She has been the recipient of a Third Honorary Prize, Bronze Medal of Painting of the 56th National Exhibition of Art, Thailand in 2010 and was selected to join a tour of museums in the USA by the Ministry of Culture of Thailand, 2014.
As an artist, Jiratchaya’s remarkable artistic skills are displayed through series of monochromatic drawings of inter twining lines. Since her first solo show, Between the Lines, at Numthong Gallery, Bangkok in 2011 she has developed a drawing practice reflective of her personal diaries, which outline the experiences and emotions in her life. The modes of production have used simple techniques to create intricate line drawings, and also an “Automatic Writing” technique – both to explore the similarity between actions that are controlled by consciousness and sub-consciousness.
Jiratchaya’s works have been shown at many art events both locally and internationally. She was included in the 2nd Bangkok Triennial international Print and Drawing Exhibition, Bangkok, 2009; ID-SaTEE, Teeoli Art Space, Bangkok, 2011; 10th Thai 2014 Art Exhibition, Royal Thai Consulate-General, Los Angeles, 2014; Géodésie, l’impossible tracé, Galerie Odile Ouizeman, Paris, 2015; Light of the East, Bourgogne Tribal show, Bonnay, France, 2018; Dare you do this, Sun-wood Warehouse, Kaohsiung, Taiwan 2019; Transience and Transformation, A+ WORKS of ART, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2019.
Artist Statement
My work originates from the state of my mind. When I let my emotions rule over reason, I become tired and confused. I want to rest in order to think and return to a state of tranquillity. I begin with drawing some lines, very slowly, like weaving. The continuous and repetitious drawing of lines creates a gentle movement from one place towards another. During this process, my wandering mind becomes more calm and concentrated, peaceful and relaxed, as if the drawing process has a therapeutic benefit, curing and restoring the balance in my mind.
Trinnapat Chaisitthisak
Based mainly in Bangkok, Trinnapat Chaisitthisak is a contemporary artist born in 1982. He developed his artistic practice at Silpakorn University’s Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts faculty, from where he received both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree. He received a scholarship to continue to a Doctor of Fine and Applied Arts (D.F.A.) at Chulalongkorn University. He now works as a lecturer in the Department of Painting, Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Art, Silpakorn University. In 2009, he received the 3rd Grand Prize Award of the 11th Panasonic Contemporary Art Exhibition and won the award of the 21st Art Competition by Toshiba Thailand. He received the 2nd Grand Prize Award of the 12th Pannasonic contemporary Art Exhibition and Special Prize 22nd Toshiba “Bring good Things to Life” Art competition, Bangkok 2010.
Trinnapat typically questions what he perceives and experiences in his surroundings, in which he has experimented in science, humanity and architecture by using different kinds of media and painting techniques on a two-dimensional surface. By filling lines on the empty canvas, the mode of drawing processes has become even more important as it allows him to understand and discover aspects of the concentrations, focus, balances and spaces.
His work has been included in several art exhibitions including the 4th Amata Award Exhibition 2008; The 2nd Bangkok Triennale International Print and Drawing Exhibition 2009; The 56th National Exhibition of Art, Bangkok 2010; Numthong Gallery, Bangkok 2012; Tama Art University, Japan 2012; BACC, Bangkok 2013; We pavilion, Bangkok Biennial, Bangkok 2018; What We Paint About When We Talk About Painting, Artist+Run Gallery, Bangkok, 2019; The Exploration of Drawing, SAC, Bangkok, 2020.
Artist Statement
My work portrays repeated lines that are drawn in the same direction, space and time which emerge in relation on the movement of the body. The body acts as a compass guiding itself in an orderly way to various positions from left to right, right to left, top to bottom, bottom to top and from one point to another in the line horizontally by using the mechanisms of hands, arms and eyes at their proper speeds. The weaving of the Mind-Body Relationship gradually appears with Space-Time perception. The square frame of the “picture” reveals the process, which leads to practice and improvement of oneself while using concentration as a motivation. In each journey of searching for one’s true inner self, the result cannot be predicted. However, the frequent occurrences that are encountered include our own thoughts, exhaustion, awareness or even silence, which are all ephemeral. The senses perceiving through the physical body become a part of the drawing. Each line brings me into the conversation with my inner self, from hours to minutes, from minutes to seconds and from seconds to merely the mind and body working together on the surface. Although I repeatedly draw lines to fill a space, they create an empty space where I am left with endless contemplation.