Richard Koh Fine Art Singapore proudly presents Optimism is Ridiculous, Thailand artist Natee Utarit’s highly anticipated solo exhibition, marking the departure of Utarit’s critically acclaimed Illustration of the Crisis series. Utarit’s latest works are inspired by his fascination with classical paintings. He discovered how classical paintings had an unexplained quality that had the ability to transcend expression and skills. In this current series, Utarit harnesses this quality to narrate the complexities of contemporary life.

In a movie by Direk Jarmen, which depicted the life of Baroque painter, Caravaggio in contemporary context, was one of the main inspirations for Utarit’s new series. He was struck by how the movie was able to reinterpreted the life of Caravaggio is such a causal 1960s style but yet able to retain the essence of the message. From there, Utarit laid the foundations of his new series and set out to explore if it is possible to duplicate this style of narration in his paintings.

Utarit’s love for nostalgia was one of the main reasons why he has moved away from his early days of conceptual paintings. Utarit attributes this notion to his period in the 1970s. It was a time of change for him as with many other people in Asia. During this period, Utarit experienced rapid changes, which molded him into a person of nostalgia. He became dissatisfied with the present and was always wary of the future. Utarit considers himself as a conservative pessimist.

Image: © Natee Utarit, Richard Koh Fine Art Singapore