Always about …

The obedience habit in Thai society was rooted like a cultural brainwash regarded as “tradition” a long time ago. It comes in many shapes - a politician, a monk, a superstar, but always the same model. Like rowing a boat in a basin, everything always ends at the beginning and repeat over again. No matter how hard you try to struggle and tunnel out, you will always be trapped.

After many decades fighting against “Greedy Capitalist”, “Corruption Officer” and “Swindled Government”, except the prime minister’s name, are there anything changes?

After admonished a monk who was accused of rape out of the temple, are there anything changes? What do we do when saw a superstar porn clip?

“Always” (as it was) might only be a rambling grumble with a pledge we offer to the “thing” which can be more powerful and deem eternity than any prophet’s doctrine. Or perhaps it is just a heedless expression which come and go and let the “thing” tramples on our head as it was and always be…???
In his new series, Vasan turns himself more towards a concern about life and living. Like the Buddhist saying, "Birth, Aged, illness and Death are certainty, occurrence is impermanent". Formerly, Vasan might proffer many punishments from Buddhist belief to the “Greedy Capitalist”, “Corruption Officer” and “Swindled Government” in his paintings but all of those beliefs were not the essential of the Buddhism philosophy. The essential is the certainty that always happen "Birth, Aged, illness and Death" which Vasan is facing in his new series paintings. Yes, it is not Vasan as always but it always happen to him.

Hou Chun Ming, the collision between Taboo and Desire in his prints is as human as a normalcy. Lust drives us to desire but moral will always stop us from ourselves. Like Yin and Yang or Light and Darkness, his work shows another form of "Always" which similar to rowing a boat in a basin. In a male, there always is a female; same as in a female, there always is a male. When apart, they need each other but when paired, they corrode with each other.
A turning point of Chusak, from making satirical jokes of the social and political issue to giving more concern to religious. Actually it is a standard way-out of Thais, if we face any unsolvable issue, just turn your head to the temple and follow the Buddha philosophy as a framework to solve the problem or at least make yourself feels better. In his new series, not only a sarcastic to the current situation as always but Chusak also reveals an escape from the wicked cycle … if you only want to be free.