Messages
Some people pass through our life briefly but leave a major impact and imprint on our mind. They inspire, encourage and influence our future direction. The late Chavalit Soemprungsuk, a student of Silpa Bhirasri, was one of those people. The great thing about Chavalit was his energy, his continued learning, and his openness for new ideas, technology and new ways of representation. Since 2011, he had regularly posted his digital works and his thoughts on a Facebook page. What is profound and stands out was his professionalism, passion, dedication and belief in being an artist, in making artwork. Working in art is not easy and to have someone that we truly admire as a role model is crucial and at times a necessity, especially for young artists. By displaying his published written messages along with his latest work, we hope we can capture the essence of his life and work philosophy, what was left as his legacy.
Messages by Chavalit Soemprungsuk
Guest artists: Angkrit Ajchariyasophon, Fasang Navaaran, Jitsing Somboon, Wasinburee Supanichvoraparch, Pannaphan Yodmanee
Venue: Museum of Contemporary Art Bangkok, Period: 13 March – 23 May 2021
Talking with Nim Niyomsin, curator for the ‘Messages’ exhibition
“Messages” by Chavalit Soemprungsuk and guest artists
Some people pass through our life briefly but leave a major impact and imprint on our mind. They inspire, encourage and influence our future direction.
The late Chavalit Soemprungsuk, a student of Silpa Bhirasri, was one of those people. Throughout his long career, he regularly exhibited his work in Thailand while residing in Amsterdam, where he received many Thai artists. In 2013, he donated over 4000 pieces of his work and collections to the Thai government for educational purposes. This led to one of the most interesting exhibitions where his Amsterdam studio was reconstructed in the middle of Bangkok. From 2019-2020, we have seen his last and most memorable 80+ Art Festival Thailand to celebrate his career with his latest works in 6 locations.
The great thing about Chavalit was his energy, his continued learning, and his openness for new ideas, technology and new ways of representation. Since 2011, he had regularly posted his digital works and his thoughts on a Facebook page. What is profound and stands out was his professionalism, passion, dedication and belief in being an artist, in making artwork. Working in art is not easy and to have someone that we truly admire as a role model is crucial and at times a necessity, especially for young artists. By displaying his published written messages along with his latest work, we hope we can capture the essence of his life and work philosophy, what was left as his legacy.
From generation to generation, we learn and get inspiration from those that come before us. Like how Silpa Bhirasri influenced young Chavalit until the last day of his life. Now, through his practice and work, Chavalit, in turn, has become a source of inspiration for new generations to come.
About artist:
Chavalit Soemprungsuk (1939-2020)
Chavalit Soemprungsuk graduated from Silpakorn University in 1962. He is one of the last groups of students to have a chance to study with Silpa Bhirasri. He also leant from many Thai masters of that generation including Paitoon Muangsomboon, Fua Haripitak, Sanan Silakorn, Khien Yimsiri and Tawee Nandakwang.
After graduation, he received a scholarship from the government of the Netherlands and was the first Thai student to study at Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten, Amsterdam. Unsatisfied with the teaching style, he left school and started a career as an artist. He then got accepted as a government-sponsored artist of the Netherlands, the first and only Thai artist. This allowed him to be able to work in art fulltime.
His art practice has continued to develop over time, starting with realistic styles while in Thailand, gradually becoming more abstract, focusing on geometric forms, straight lines and color fields. He has worked with various media such as painting, drawing, printing, sculpture and mixed media.
For the last 6 decades, Soemprungsuk has become a prominent figure in the field of abstract art and non-objective art. In his exhibition, ‘In Amsterdam with Chavalit Soemprungsuk’ 2013, he donated over 4000 pieces of his collections to the Thai government. These include artwork, books, furniture, belongings and even structural parts of his Amsterdam studio, under the condition that all these assets must be accessible to the public with the aim of benefitting younger generations of artists. In 2014 he was honored as a National Artist of Thailand, visual arts.
For the last decade, Soemprungsuk has switched from making large sculpture and art pieces in his studio to digital works displayed through social media platforms. He later produced a tangible digital print, a one-off image that he created daily until the end of his life. Part of these works were exhibited at the ‘80+ Art Festival Thailand’, a festival of exhibitions in various locations during November 2019 – March 2020 to celebrate the artist’s career at his 80th year of age. Locations were Silpa Bhirasri’s House, Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center, Lhong 1919, Baramee of Art, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), Numthong Art Space and Nan Riverside Arts Space. The plan is also to continue to publish his works in other more places in the future.
About guested artists:
Angkrit Ajchariyasophon
b.1976, currently lives and works in Bangkok, Thailand
Graduating with a Masters degree in Media Arts and Design from Chiang Mai University, he had his first solo exhibition in 1997 in Otago Polytechnic, Dunedin, New Zealand while being an exchange student there. Later, in 2001-2008 he had more solo exhibitions in Chiang Rai and Chiang Mai. The content of his exhibitions were related to identity, new media, colonialism and globalization. Until 2009, he worked on Performance Art – titled “12 hrs: relation in time 2009” by paying attention back to his inner self. After that he worked on memories, abstraction, and death, as in the exhibition “Brightness of the past, Vagueness of the Present” in Okinawa and “The Elusive Memories” at RMA Gallery, in Bangkok. In the following years, he had an abstract painting exhibition titled “Constant Uncertainty” at 338OIDA Gallery, Bangkok and the exhibition “Present Tense”. In 2017, he worked on various “truths” in the exhibition titled “Shades of Red” at Gallery VER, Bangkok.
He has participated in group exhibitions since 2001, such as “Ritual” at the Internationalem Wandertheater-Festival, Radebeul-Kotzschenbroda, Germany. He joined the Tiger’s eye: ASSORTED ASIAN TIGERS 2003 exhibition at Camden Gallery in London at which he was working on identity and ethnicity. He joined the Soi Project, Yokohama Triennale 2005 in Yokohama where he worked on abstract paintings related to “Diversity”. Later in 2006-2008, he had an exhibition entitled “The Perfect English Gentleman” at the Queen Sirikit Art Gallery Bangkok, “The Gentleman Simulacra” exhibition at Future of Imagination 4 in Singapore and “Traces of Siamese Smile” at BACC, which was also about politics, new media and colonialism.
Angkrit Ajchariyasophon has participated in short and long-term artist residencies in many countries such as New Zealand 1997, Germany 2001, Malaysia 2002, Norway 2004 and Japan 2015.
Currently, he is an independent artist and manager/founder of the ARTIST+RUN gallery since 2016 in Bangkok. Before that, he worked as a Co-Curator for the “Singapore Biennale” 2013 at the Singapore Art Museum and he was a curator for the “Chiang Mai Now!” exhibition 2011 at BACC. He also worked as an independent curator for WOOFPACK and YELO HOUSE Bangkok
Fasang Navaaran
b.1967, currently lives and works in Nakhonratchasima, Thailand
Studied in Painting and Architecture from Rajamongala Institute of Technology Nakhonratchasima, Fasang Nava-aran works in mixed media, painting and installation to create abstraction. Found objects and color hues were constructed and arranged into geometric forms. The appeal of his work is not in its order but in its harmonious combination that might at first look unintended. The straightforwardness and sincerity of his work is revealed by the display of the materials’ natural substances and textures.
He has participated in many group and solo exhibitions in Thailand and abroad including Form and Intent, Abstract-project, Paris (2019), painting*instllations*objects, Gallery Kierat, Szczecin, Poland (2017), Are Different, Marsi Gallery, Bangkok (2013), A moveable model, Hof Art, Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre (BACC)(2011), Appropriate, H Gallery, Bangkok (2208), Swirling, Gusty Wind, Gallery 55, Bangkok (2005) and ARTSingapore 2002. In 2013, he participated in the International Biennial of nonobjective art, Pont de Claix in France.
Jitsing Somboon
b.1962, currently lives and works in Bangkok, Thailand
Jinsing Somboon is an artist and designer who is constantly challenging his own creativities. He graduated in fine art from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University. In 1986, he received numerous awards in fine art; 2nd Prize, Silver Medal, The 32nd National Exhibition of Art, Bangkok, Award Winner, the 8th Kasikorn Bank (Thai Farmers Bank) Contemporary Art Exhibition, Bangkok
Always up for new challenges and opportunities, his path took another turn when he took a position as a designer for fashion brand Greyhound, where he continued to work for almost 20 years, before overseeing and managing a new brand for another 15 years, Playhound by Greyhound. His success came from the right combination of fashion and fine art which, at the time, was highly innovative. He received Designer of the Year Award, Silpakorn University, in 2004.
While still managing, consulting, and teaching art and design, Somboon has turned his focus to making artwork by participating in exhibitions locally and abroad, including Character Me, JWD Art Space (2019), We create miracle from what we are, Sculpture ‘Chang Kid’, Chang Chui (2018), The Light Live Universe installation, The Golden jubilee Museum of Agriculture Office (Public Organization) (2018), King’s Inspiration, The Royal Thai Embassy The Hague, Netherlands (2016), Thai Combo, Ossam Gallery, New York (2016), Here is Zine 8th Tokyo-Bangkok, culture art by beams, Tokyo (2014), Let’s Panic, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (2010).
In 2018, he was selected as one of the artists to participate in the first Bangkok Art Biennale with his project ‘Faithway’ at Wat Pho.
Wasinburee Supanichvoraparch
b. 1971, currently lives and works in Ratchaburi, Thailand
The attribution of an uncontrollable and the boundary between reality and the surreal are always at the heart of Supanichvoraparch’s art practice and philosophy. He is a ceramic artist who is also known for his photography, sculpture, installations and public art. He is the owner of Tao Hong Tai Ceramic Factory. He earned a Master’s Degree in Fine Art (Major in Ceramic) at Universitaet Gesamthochschule Kassel, Germany. Supanichvoraparch believes in the accessibility and sustainability of art. He found an art center, dKunst, and Art Normal, Ratchaburi’s first public art event.
Supanichvoraparch has exhibited in leading galleries and museums worldwide including Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Italy, Taiwan and Singapore. His important art pieces are among private and public collections presented at Hessische Landesmuseum Kassel, Le Meridien, Bangkok, Shizen Lifestyle Spa Resort, Tel-Aviv, Bangkok Sculpture Center, Ratchaburi National Museum and Ministry of Culture, Thailand.
In 2013, he was selected to be Thailand’s representative, showing his work in the 55th Venice Biennale. He has also received the Wattanakunathorn Award in 2013 and Silpathorn Award Winner for Design Section in 2010 from the Ministry of Culture, and Thailand Designer Award in 2007 from Silpakorn University. This year, his work will be presented at the 2nd Bangkok Art Biennale 2020-21.
Pannaphan Yodmanee
b.1988, currently lives and works in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
Pannaphan Yodmanee combines found objects, natural elements such as rocks and minerals, and painted elements that recall traditional Thai art and architecture. The artist examines the relevance of Buddhist philosophy to our lives. Through her works, she explores Buddhist philosophy and cosmology. Utilising a combination of raw, natural materials with found objects of contemporary origin, her works imbue the painted designs and motifs endemic to traditional Thai art with the universal and persistent themes of loss, suffering, devastation, and the karmic cycles of death and rebirth.
Pannaphan Yodmanee has widely exhibited her work and attend international art events including the 15th Lyon Contemporary Art Biennale (2019-2020), 11th Bienesse Prize, Southeast Asian, Shodoshima Island, Japan (2019), The 9th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art (APT9), Oagoma, Australia (2018), The 1st Bangkok Art Biennale (2018), TIME LAPSE, Tang Contemporary Art Gallery, Beijing, China (2018), An Atlas of Mirrors, Singapore Biennale 2016, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore (2016), Thailand Eye, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK (2015), Myth/History II: Shanghai Galaxy, Yuz Museum, Shanghai, China (2015) and Thai Charisma: Heritage + Creative Power, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Bangkok (2014)
Her received numerous awards such as 1st Prize, Bualuang Gold Medal, The 35th Thai Traditional Painting Awards (2013), as well as the 1st Prize of the 1st and the 2nd Young Thai Artist Awards (2006, 2007). In 2016, Pannaphan Yodmanee also won the prestigious 11th Benesse Prize.
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