After a two-year hiatus, Michael Shaowanasai's creative juices are flowing into his art again. The result can be seen at "Radu Die 1: Dawn of the Evening: Entering Act V", a solo exhibition by one of Thailand's most established visual artists presented by H Gallery Bangkok and H Project Space.
RaduDie 1:Dawnof the Evening: Entering ActV will be on show atHGallery from tomorrow until Nov 4. The opening party is on tonight at 6pm. The gallery is located on Sathon Soi 12 and opens Wed-Mon from 10am-6pm. Call 085-021-5508.
The new works on show are the result of the break Michael took at his hideaways in various European cities in order to grapple with profound self-reflection. The collection represents a bittersweet exit to and embrace of the twilight world of the mid-career artist.
"Memory is an abstract being, it can weigh you down, make you stay put or make you whole. I chose to release it as a force to push me. As an artist, I am half full. As a man, I rather defy the saying 'a man at a certain age must achieve and hold on to the glory and agony of his past'. Besides defying it, I am also screwing it," said Michael.
Michael has twice represented Thailand at the Venice Biennale. The upcoming exhibition is an eclectic body of works that ranges from painting to photography to participatory installation.
The title refers to the periods of the artist's life, from his childhood in Bangkok through to life in major American cities, art school, professional practice and now, which he considers Act V. Michael has worked as a leading multi-disciplinary artist for 16 years and this exhibition also points to the belief that the duration is a marker for make-it-or-break-it in any context.
The exhibition reinvigorates long-standing themes in the artist's practice that address sexuality, sensuality, identity, representation and provocation. Ephemera from a life lived extensively across continents _ including memorabilia from sex arenas and dashed-off expressions of hopes for future relationships _ form the core of this exhibition, alongside a startling installation that confronts us with a tenet of Michael's oeuvre _ the challenge to consider and re-consider our expectations, limits and boundaries as sexual beings.
