Main Exhibition 789

EMERGING PATTERNS

'EMERGING PATTERNS'
Contemporary Art: Songkla/Pattani/Yala-Narathiwat

Presented by  Bangkok Art and Culture Centre ,City of Bangkok

To be shown at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre will be an exhibition of paintings by 28 young southern artists from the four provinces of Songkla, Pattani, Yala and Narathiwat. The exhibition ' Emerging Patterns', comprising of some one-hundred works, will showcase the on-going trends and current thinking of emerging young artists on the southern seaboard.

The exhibition will be on show at the BACC's 7th floor gallery between 4th August to 16th October 2011, with the official opening on 9th August.

With the local backdrop rich in pattern-making commonly seen in everyday life such as on the batik fabric, on the gorlae fishing boats and Nang Talung shadow puppets, these young artists have made them their starting point and, employing such motifs in the paintings, proceed to articulate the contemporary world around them.

Among these artists, the intrinsic gift of pattern-making is discernible, riding on diverse local traditions. Yet a striking trend has also emerged – their strong desire to explore representational art, the freedom of which is discovered perhaps partly through the encouragement of, and reaction to, new art schooling established in the last decade.

The budding artists are experimenting with new ideas, new techniques, where there were no peers to proceed them. 

In their paintings, some made references to respected elderly relatives finding in them the source of cultural continuity and inspiration. And for some, they see strength amongst the lives of village folks, especially women. The portrayal of such figures interestingly, are not usual to local tradition, weary of the consequence of idolatry.

There will be other portrayals of village figures in the show, coming from the point of view of the philosophy of Impermanence.

Pattern-making and portrayal, spiritual and physical, the timeless discussion is being touched upon and refreshed in this flowering of the contemporary art movement in the south. And this is taking place in none more appropriate a corner of the country, considering that the area is where to be found some of the first landfalls and beachheads of beliefs, cultures, and of adventurous merchants to arrive in Southeast Asia in the last two millennia, thereby giving this show a historical context.

Cultural backgrounds aside, another strong showing is the artists' references to surroundings: the sea and the land, bringing into focus how the rich natural resources have molded the long thriving communities. Perhaps not fully obvious now in the modern urban townscape, the artists by making many references to local condition and culture, are thus giving expression to and making it all more visible, the underlying cultural and cohesive strength of these communities.

That the vicinity of the Isthmus of Kra has always been cosmopolitan and people have known how to co-exist, is being given some expression too. This is all the more relevant with the on-going conflict in the area, that artists living within this context show how the creative mind can make the existential synthesis, and how to live and feel lives in harmony.

The exhibition 'Emerging Patterns' at the BACC, is seen as an occasion to further the dialogue process between people of various parts of the country. Through art, Bangkok will now have a chance to gain some insight and share cultural ideas. The message from the south is probably more abstract and contemplative: brooding the representational question is certain to be of topical interest, considering that we are now taking for granted that living in our modern society, we are wrapped in images, both real and false.

Curated by :
Chatvichai Promadhattavedi
Pichet Piaklin

Artists : Suriya Chemuh, Jehabdulloh Jehsorhoh, Kareemah Doloh, Muhammadsuriyee Masu, Tofet Bulayama, Manee Meemak, Wiroon Janthong, Somsak Leeday, Prach Pimarnman, Keeta Isaran, Nuratna Hawae, Paweena Kholmnok, Omsiree Pandumrong, Sirichai Pummak, Hasamee Pohsaeyuerai, Anis Naksewee, Aimrom Yunu, Wuttikiat Wattakee, Salwanee Hajisamae, Chusak Srikwan, Pichet Piaklin, Sayumphu Yommana, Chairat Sangthong, Arseed Saardwaree, Charungrat Rothkuen, Rafiah Alee, Alfatihah Manmoh, Sabeeyah Maae