The works of eleven emerging and established Thai and Singapore artists will be shown together for the first time in Singapore as part of Anthropos, an exhibition curated by Loredana Pazzini-Paracciani, an independent art curator and part-time lecturer at LASALLE College of the Arts.
Anthropos (a Greek word for human), investigates how boundaries between the physical and psychological spheres of the human body converge. The show also explores the cultural and artistic exchange between Thailand and Singapore.
The human body has been a universal theme for artists for millennia and continues to fascinate artists today. In this exhibition, the body, which is subject to constantly shifting perceptions and social, cultural and political conditioning, is appropriated as a collective visual and intellectual motif. The participating artists present paintings on canvas, graffiti and mixed-media installations that address themes of identity, cultural belonging and social rituals.
The artists from Thailand: Haritorn Akarapat, a mid-career painter and sculptor whose tactile and free-form works capture the inner essence of the human being; Kamolpan Chotvichai, a young artist who delicately hand slices her own image on paper; Tada Hengsapkul, an emerging photographer of thought-provoking images that reference Thai society and resonate with nostalgia; Piyarat Piyapongwiwat, a photographer, video and installation artist for whom culture and identity form a social commentary in her works; Nino Sarabutra, a ceramist who uses the medium to explore human emotions and existence; Tawan Wattuya, who works in watercolor and oil depicting social phenomena in and outside Thailand; and Prasert Yodkaew, an emerging mixed-media artist of surreal installations that suggest an other-worldly realm.
The artists from Singapore: Jeremy Hiah, a painter, installation and performance artist who addresses social issues based on personal experiences; Ana Prvacki, a recent participant at Documenta 13 whose interactive performance pieces explore social anxieties; Sufian Hamri @ TR853-1, a street-mural painter and designer, more commonly known as TraseOne, whose subversively playful practice deals with social and cultural behavior; and Jason Wee, the founder of the alternative art space and residency Grey Projects, and an artist, writer and curator.
Image: © Nino Sarabutra, Sundaram Tagore Gallery