Most art exhibitions attract only people who work in the art industry.
However, "Bizarre Land" (2015) by photographer Charit Pusiri went viral since the photos in the exhibition bring to light issues that people in society usually ignore. For instance, one photo portrays four family members riding the same motorcycle -- a common sight in Thailand even though it should not be like that. Charit said he had aimed to create works that most people can relate to.
"I was happy that people were talking about 'Bizarre Land' but it was also criticised for not being fine art. The critics said my artwork wasn't deep nor complex but more like commercial art. However, since I want Thais to become more interested in art, my work is usually not too difficult to understand," explained Charit.
Charit considers his photos similar to paintings and his work is often the aesthetic result of well-arranged film sets.
"Some people questioned why I didn't take photos on the street while working on 'Bizarre Land'. Well, I took photos in the studio because there I'm able to create and control the composition of objects, light, colour and emotions of the subjects and every other detail. As a result, I can get the exact result that I planned for," he said.
Charit is an award-winning photographer who earned his Master's in Digital Photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design in the US. He has a long list of international awards, including a gold medal (2017) from the international photography competition Trierenberg Super Circuit in Austria. Moreover, in 2015, he served as a judge for the Al Thani Award in Austria. Since Charit's photos can strike a responsive chord in visitors, he is currently holding two photo exhibitions -- "The Knight In PPE Suit" at Ardel Third Place Gallery, and "Peek!" at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
As a professional photographer, Charit believes that a good photo must serve its objectives.
"If it is an advertisement, it must convince people to buy the product. If it is a fine art photo, it must encourage viewers to think about an issue or some content," said Charit.
The Knight In PPE Suit
Where: Ardel's Third Place Gallery, Thong Lor Soi 10
When: Until Dec 12
Fatal depicts the high risk to healthcare professionals amid the pandemic. (Photos courtesy of Charit Pusiri)
"The Knight In PPE Suit" was created to praise and show gratitude to every medical professional and public health worker who is risking their life and working tirelessly to combat the coronavirus. Charit got the idea for the collection during lockdown when he heard how frontline medical staff were having a tough time dealing with the deadly virus.
Surveillance portrays how medical and healthcare workers are always prepared to deal with the outbreak. (Photo: Charit Pusiri)
"In the collection, the man wearing the PPE suit symbolises medical staff and public health workers who have dedicated themselves to help our country until we can overcome Covid-19. We usually hear the expression 'white knight', however in this case, a person wearing a PPE suit is like a knight who rescues us. Another theme in the collection is a swimming suit, which is usually an outfit for one specific purpose. As such, we don't wear it for other activities, so it refers to this uncomfortable situation," explained Charit.
The final photo in the collection, Fatal, portrays a person in a PPE suit buried in the ground. In April, three medical staff in Thailand sadly passed away during lockdown because they had been overworked. Charit hopes that the exhibition will encourage people to maintain discipline in their fight against Covid-19.
Boredom reflects on how students felt bored studying online during the pandemic. (Photo: Charit Pusiri)
"Medical workers in other countries have also died from Covid-19. I hope that the exhibition will remind people to protect themselves since healthcare workers are risking their lives to take care of us. Don't let your guard down because we can see how other countries are experiencing a second wave of the virus," Charit said.
Visit Ardel's Third Place Gallery Facebook page or call 02-422-2092.
Peek!
Where: Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC)
When: Until Jan 31
'Peek!' consists of 10 boxes containing photos. (Photo: Charit Pusiri)
"Peek!" is part of Bangkok Art Biennale, which has an unusual presentation format. To see 10 photos regarding social issues such as the use of social media and sexual harassment in educational institutions, a visitor has to look through the keyhole of a box. Charit believes that curiosity is innate to human nature.
"People are naturally curious about other people's private lives. In the past, we had to look through a keyhole to peek at something or someone. Therefore, I created 10 boxes, each with a keyhole so that visitors can peek through to view what is on the other side. In today's digital age, we can peek into other people's lives through social media, however, what we see on the social platforms is only a part of their lives. It is similar to seeing things through a keyhole in which you can't see the complete picture. As a result of such incomplete interpretation, it can cause misinformation and we often see this play out in entertainment news," explained Charit.
To see a photo, visitors must look through a keyhole. (Photo: Charit Pusiri)
The photographer said he came up with the idea of peeking through a box because he wanted to create an exhibition that visitors can interact with. His idea has been a success since his exhibition is packed with visitors who enjoy peeking at photos in the boxes. In fact, many of them even take the time to write comments and provide feedback.
Visitors can leave comments. (Photo: Charit Pusiri)
"Most art exhibits cannot be touched and visitors can only look at them. However, I wanted my exhibition to be hands-on, which is why I attached paper notes next to the boxes so that people can write their comments or feelings about each photo. I want to know what people think and how they react to a photo. While some people made jokes or wrote bad words, others took it seriously and wrote how they interpreted the photos. There are many kinds of comments and I am open to all of them. I don't want visitors to feel that art is inaccessible. Instead, I would like people who don't have knowledge about art to understand and enjoy it," concluded Charit.
Visit facebook.com/baccpage or call 02-214-6630.
