Whenever Praenika Sinkanarak feels blue, watching someone walking a dog can cheer her up. Hence, she infused her love for dogs into her first solo exhibition "Badass That I Love".
Praenika Sinkanarak with Run. (Photos: Somchai Poomlard)
"'Badass That I Love' is a celebration of the existence of dogs, which bring joy to people's lives. I really like dogs and seeing one on a bad day can instantly lift my spirits," said Praenika.
"I decided to create an exhibition to express my love for these wonderful creatures. The exhibition features various dog breeds. During my third year at Chulalongkorn University, I had an opportunity to produce a short film and was so impressed with the process that I applied the same approach to this exhibition. As a result, each painting depicts a short story or a gag.
"The title 'Badass That I Love' represents the idea that despite the fact that dogs can be mischievous, I still love them. The dogs featured in the exhibition may playfully get on someone's nerves, but they remain undeniably adorable. I hope that visitors will find joy in these dog-themed paintings, just as I find happiness watching other people's dogs."
At the exhibition on view until Sunday, visitors will feel positive energy after seeing paintings of dogs on the window by the entrance of Kich Gallery. The dog characters include a poodle, a Dalmatian and a bulldog. Praenika explained that these characters on the window serve as a hint to visitors of what they will experience inside the gallery.
"I intended to create a hint of what awaits inside. The paintings on the glass are a compilation of dogs and various elements such as a lamp, sofa and a locket. The painting portrays every dog pausing their activity and looking outside, wondering if visitors will come in," Praenika explained.
The entrance of Kich Gallery. (Photo: Suwitcha Chaiyong)
From left, Life Is Better With Coffee 3, 2 and 1.
The gallery is filled with paintings of dogs that can make everyone smile. Next to the entrance, there is a sketchbook which Praenika used to draw rough drafts before developing them into artwork. The three acrylic paintings, Life Is Better With Coffee 1, 2 and 3, depict three different dog breeds -- a schnauzer, a poodle and a foxhound -- relaxing and enjoying coffee.
"I created this painting when my studio was above my friend's coffee shop. In this collection, I created dogs which delight in savouring their boss' coffee rather than their dog food. The coffee cups and dog containers are depicted in the same colours, serving as a form of satire," Praenika said.
Praenika revealed she had two ways of creating paintings for this exhibition. First, she picked objects she was interested in, such as a tree or a locket, and then built a situation around them. Since dogs have different characters and colours, her second approach was to create a painting based on a dog's character. For example, a dachshund inspired her to paint All Reserved which portrays it lying across four folding deck chairs.
As a dog lover, the artist understands that visitors want to see their favourite breeds. There are walls dedicated to a series of several breeds such as a Labrador, poodle, a Maltese and Pomeranian. The funny thing is in this painting series, all the dogs are depicted pooping, and their poop spell out the word love.
All Reserved.
Next to the series, there is a pink poop sculpture on the floor. Nearby, an orange bulldog sculpture is pooping on the floor and its pink poop forms the word love also. Every dog lover can relate to their pets. Although they misbehave, their adorable personalities make it difficult to get mad at them.
Praenika earned her bachelor's in Communication Design from the Faculty of Architecture, at Chulalongkorn University. The artist has had a passion for drawing and painting since she was young. During her time at university, she often used her illustration skills to complete projects.
As part of a university project, when Praenika was a sophomore, she designed a label for bottles of water which were intended to be provided in funeral ceremonies. Her innovative idea involved using thermochromic printing on the label which can change the word sukati (heaven) to sati (mindfulness) depending on the temperature of the water bottle. The project gained attention from media representatives and the public.
"I drew inspiration from the brand Sprinkle, which uses thermochromic printing for its labels allowing the colours of a lip on the label to change based on temperatures. In low temperatures, the lip is pink while in high temperatures, the lip turns white," Praenika said.
An orange bulldog sculpture.
"At funeral ceremonies, hosts often serve water in plastic cups which later become waste, so I designed labels for bottles of water. The thermochromic labels may encourage guests to keep the bottles. When guests receive cold bottles, they will see the word, sukati on the labels. As the bottles become warmer, some letters disappear, revealing the word, sati. It serves as a reminder for guests that the deceased has peacefully left the world and encourages the living to move on and live their lives mindfully."
Unfortunately, the project was not further developed even though many people were interested in it. Praenika explained that thermochromic labels require a significant investment. Despite not going into production, she was satisfied with the result.
Praenika is also a talented illustrator. When she participated in the Bangkok Illustration Fair 2023, her work was selected to exhibit at Pop Up Asia, a similar fair in Taiwan. The artist received positive feedback from visitors in Taiwan and some of them became her followers on social platforms and still keep in touch with her.
Praenika Sinkanarak, artist and The Perfect Spot, left, and Can I Be Your Friend?
Founder of Kich Gallery, Kit Chirachaisaku was impressed by Praenika's ability to create unique characters using vintage colours, setting her apart from other young artists. "Her illustrations were charming and she displayed excellent artistic taste. I believe that if she painted on canvas, her work would make a better impact. After working with her, I realised that she is a perfectionist and handles her work with a professional approach, despite her young age of 23," said Kit.
In addition to acrylic paintings, there is a digital print of the illustration Foreigner Meet Up With A Friend In Bangkok, which depicts a Thai dog sitting next to a Dalmatian. Praenika explained that many people told her they recognised her from this illustration. It was shared on social media when she participated in BKKIF, making it valuable to her.
"Badass That I Love" is a successful exhibition, attracting numerous visitors even on weekdays. Praenika expressed that she is 100% satisfied with her debut solo exhibition.
"I did not expect much, but I often reminded myself to enjoy the moments while working on the exhibition. I am proud of myself and the feedback has turned out even better than I expected," said Praenika.
"Badass That I Love" runs at Kich Gallery, Ruamrudee 2, Phloenchit Road, until Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/kichgallery.
Painting series of several breeds.
A pink poop sculpture.
A digital print, Foreigner Meet Up With A Friend In Bangkok.
