A variety of random characters and items -- Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro González, Japanese comic character Perman, Snow White, popular Glico Japanese snack Pocky and an ATM -- appear in the painting Justice Pillar from the collection "Doppelgänger" created by Verapong Sritrakoolkitjakarn, better known as Verapong VS Ayino. On view until Sunday at Kawit Studio & Gallery, "Doppelgänger" displays six oil-on-linen paintings and six woodcut artworks. Each artwork depicts subjects related to Verapong's interests including historical figures, Japanese and Walt Disney cartoon characters and things around us. Meaning a biologically unrelated lookalike or a double, the word doppelgänger is German, but Verapong sees it often when he reads Japanese comic books.
"I saw this word from a ghost comic where a character finds his/her double character and tries to kill him/her. It is similar to a multi-personality character in the classic novel Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde. I can relate to this word because I think I have many personalities. People usually label someone as nice or bad or hotheaded or calm, but I think everyone has different types of personalities within them. I want my artworks to have diversity, so I depict things that are nonsense and serious together," Verapong explained.
Justice Pillar depicts historical figures, cartoon characters and items around us.
Verapong Sritrakoolkitjakarn and his art exhibition 'Doppelgänger'. (Photos: Apichit Jinakul)
At "Doppelgänger", visitors can see subjects that they don't expect to see in artwork, such as instant noodles, snacks, a box of soy milk or a bus stop sign. It is Verapong's intention to create artwork that everyone can relate to.
"I want things that we see in our daily lives to appear in my artwork. Some people may think a box of snacks or soy milk or an ATM is not something aesthetic. It should not be part of an artwork, but I want everyone to see that everything can be art. I want people to feel that art can be connected to their routine lives," said Verapong.
Immortal, left, portrays traditional yantras, while Enlightenment was inspired by Snow White.
Verapong earned his master's from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts at Silpakorn University. He won several awards from the National Exhibition of Art Bangkok, including the gold medal. His artworks are displayed at international events including in the US, Spain, Germany, France, Belgium, Japan and South Korea.
"When I was a student, I participated in many competitions. Although I didn't like the competitive atmosphere at the contests, it was the only way to display my artwork at the time. However, after winning awards, I learned that nothing is certain. Awards do not guarantee my future in the field. I was recognised for two months and after that everything turned back to normal. I don't really have a plan to build up a secure career, but I think I have to give my all and do my best and I have to continually maintain the quality of my work," said Verapong.
Due to his achievements, Verapong was invited to speak about the Thai art industry in South Korea and he was in Singapore to present his art exhibition several years ago.
"I was in South Korea as a representative of Thai artists along with other artists from Asean. I was nervous because I'm not good at speaking English, but the audience really paid attention to my presentation. While I was in Singapore, I went to many museums. Their presentation and management were impressive. They allowed visitors to touch and engage with the exhibits. They also invested a lot of money to bring works by world-famous artists to their museums such as the works of Impressionist French artists Pierre Auguste Renoir and Claude Monet. The exhibitions attracted both Singaporeans and visitors from Asean since people didn't have to travel to France in order to see the real paintings," said Verapong.
Verapong's artworks are vivid and lively because he creates his works without planning or sketches.
"I don't have any sketches because I like to improvise my works on the go, so outcomes are raw, natural and honest. I have no idea how the end result will look. I continually work on them spontaneously. I like to create paintings because they convey stories in a straightforward manner. Subjects in artworks are usually selected carefully to be symbolic, but I want the subjects to be symbolic and yet also represent themselves," said Verapong.
Falling Man.
During his leisure time, Verapong reads history and Japanese comic books. The comic Phoenix by Tezuka Osamu, which is about a man's quest for immortality, inspired Verapong to question life and its meaning.
"I like Japanese comics because their characters look like cartoons and are not realistic. Black Jack, another comic written by Tezuka Osamu, is about an unlicensed physician and the comic raises questions about the value of money and life. Phoenix is philosophical and thoughtful. It tells a profound story about the circle of life and inspired me to create artwork that conveys something meaningful like the book. However, Phoenix didn't give me answers about the meaning and value of life. I still have to figure out the answers myself," said Verapong.
Woodcut, Hypothesis.
Verapong hopes patrons of "Doppelgänger" will pose questions about what they see and appreciate its aesthetic.
"I want people to question their own lives, not focus simply on my artwork. I hope that when they interpret the artworks, they develop their thoughts rather than focusing only on the artworks. I also hope people are aware of aesthetics. When there was a solar eclipse in Thailand, I saw most people were busy working or did other activities. They ignored the natural beauty of this phenomenon even though it was something aesthetic, which rarely appears in their routine lives," said Verapong.
"Some people say that art can uplift the mind. I used to wonder if it is true. I believe it isn't art that uplifts the mind, but it is the aesthetic aspect of art. If we see beauty or aesthetics, we won't destroy beautiful things. For instance, if we see the beauty of trees, we will not cut town any trees. If people think the world is aesthetic, we will not destroy it," Verapong said.
"Doppelgänger" runs at Kalwit Studio & Gallery, Ruamrudee 2, until Nov 1. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/kalwitgallery or call 02-254-4629.
