ARTISTS
Thai artist Tawan Wattuya who has held many exhibitions abroad, such as in New York, Tokyo, and Taiwan, is an artist who paints animals and still life, but mainly portraits of people, using unique watercolor techniques. He deals with various subjects such as political turmoil, terrorism, and pornography, and highlights problems with his keen insights.
The theme Tawan Wattuya deals with is broad and truly unique, expressing its potential brutality. In the series with the theme of Miss contest, with women being 'sold', the hierarchy of beauty in Thai society was depicted cynically and with pop sensibility. He also worked on a series of portraits of victims facing chronic political violence in Thailand as a theme. His view on society regarding the imposed social order, standards, and sense of duty captures things and behaviors from a different angle, and the audience can feel that vision through his works.
Tawan Wattuya has chosen watercolors that are difficult to control, and by creating and arranging the number of copies, the theme of the work becomes more prominent. The blurred portraits are obtained by intentionally pressing watercolor paints onto paper, creating a person's facial expression with a strong impact.
From 25th May to 14th July 2019, Tawan Wattuya's exhibition was held at 1PROJECTS Gallery in Bangkok. This exhibition featured victims of political protests or people affected by oppression from April to May 2010. More than one hundred of these victims died.
The lives lost in Thai political massacres have tended to be lost twice in Thai history. While their names and faces are rapidly disappearing from collective memory, those who are directly or indirectly involved in the agitation of violence occupy a prominent position in Thai history. 'Lost Decade', this expression is widely used to refer to the latest and lasting political deadlock, but it may not be just progress or economic wealth that is truly lost. The most traumatic loss for Thai people may be their memory of events and people involved.
This series of works, created in 2010, was exhibited as a chance to vividly revive the memories of victims, who have been forgotten as 'AMNESIA'.
Tawan Wattuya
Born in Thailand, 1973
Education:
The College of Fine Arts, Bangkok.
Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree (B.F.A.) in Painting,
The Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Main Solo Exhibitions:
2018
"Rogues Gallery : Monsters, Villains & Hellbent Politicians" The Lodge Gallery, New York, USA
"Out of The Frying Pan, into The Fire" ARTIST+RUN Bangkok, Thailand
2017
"Blinded" Diginner gallery workshop, Tokyo, Japan
2015
"When water Beats" ART&PLUS, Paris, France
2014
"Like a Virgin" Alliance Francaise de Brisbane, Brisbane, Australia
"Dek Oey Dek Dee" Toot Yung Art Center, Bangkok, Thailand
2013
"Tii Tai Krua" The Art Center Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
2012
"Fading Nostalgia" Gallery Yang, 798 art zone, Beijing, China
2011
"Superheroes and the Unreachable Fantasies", DCA Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
2010
"Okinawa part 2", Tsuchi Gallery, Naha city, Okinawa, Japan
"Bimboes, Stars & Super heroes", Toot Yung Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
"Uniform/Uniformity", Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok, Thailand
"Tawan Wattuya", Galerie Compagnies du Monde, Paris, France
"Beijing Art Fair", Beijing, China
2007
"Siamese Freaks", Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2005
"500" Sarazine Gallery, Sarasin Road, Bangkok, Thailand
2001
"Lonely People" Burapha University Art Gallery, Bangsaen, Chonburi, Thailand
2000
"Western Japan Merger" The Gallery by Cocoon, Bangkok, Thailand
Major Group Exhibitions:
2017
"Farewell : The art Center's Acknowledgment" The Art Center Chula, Bangkok, Thailand
"Condemned To Be Free" WTF Gallery & Café, Bangkok, Thailand
"Jet' aime... moi non plus" nca nichido contemporary art, Tokyo, Japan
"Funayama's collection" Fuma Contemporary Tokyo Bunkyo Art, Tokyo, Japan
"A Journey Far From Home" Galerie Nichido, Taipei, Taiwan
"Jura- Okinawa" Galerie Du Sauvage, Jura, Switzerland
"Totem" Saatchi Gallery, London, England
"Head or Tails?" Sundaram Tagore Gallery, New York, USA
2016
"PRUDENTIAL EYE AWARD" Contemporary Asian Art, ArtScience Museum, Singapore
"Bare" Hof art, Bangkok, Thailand
"a peculiar nature" The Lodge gallery, New York, USA
"Tracing the past" nca / nichido contemporary art, Tokyo, Japan
"Crossover" Rycom Anthropology, Koza, Okinawa, Japan
2014
"KOANS" Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok, Thailand
"World Watermedia Exposition, Thailand, Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center, Bangkok
"ANTHROPOS" Sundaram Tagore gallery, New York, USA
2013
"DENY" Gallery D-9, Bangkok, Thailand
"BUKRUK" BACC, Bangkok, Thailand
"UNCENSORED" Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
"Anthropos" Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
"Anthropos" Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Singapore
2012
"Cut Thru" Lasalle College of The Arts, Singapore
"Thai Trends from Localism to Internationalism", BACC, Bangkok, Thailand
2011
"Dialogues", Belgian and Thai art and design exhibition, BACC, Bangkok, Thailand
"Wall2", BACC, Bangkok, Thailand
"RAW" Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
"City of angels/identity crisis",Galerie 59 rue Rivoli, Paris, France
"When all you got is given" 68 Square Metres Art Space, Copenhagen, Denmark
2010
"KOZA A.I.R", M&A gallery, Okinawa city, Okinawa, Japan
2009
"Story of the Eye", Gossip Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
"La Thailande vous sourit" Chapelle Saint Julien, Salinelles, France
"Broadsheet Notations",Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok, Thailand
2008
"The Inner I", GMT+7 Gallery, Brussels, Belgium
"My next Artist", Nguyen Tan Chong Gallery, Paris, France
"VDO", 856 G Gallery, Cebu, Philippine
"3 Young Contemporary", Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2007
"Artist self portrait", The Silom Galleria, Bangkok, Thailand
2006
10th Anniversary, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2005
"Face Up", Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2004
"Ode to the Period's Difference", Tang Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2003
"Private", Art Exhibition, Rajamangala Institute of Technology Art Gallery (Klong 6 Campus), Thailand
2002
"Traces of Wisdom", Tang Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
