There's something special about carved wood sculptures. The warmth, the human touch and the time-honoured way of making art shared by many civilisations. If this intrigues you, then you may want to check out the "Moonlight" exhibition by Chanathip Chuenhbumroong, which runs until Oct 22 at Central: The Original Store on Charone Krung Road.
Chanathip tells the story of Fat Fox and Moon through beautifully carved wooden pieces. He has more than 14 years of experience in wood carving and has been teaching his craft to others for the last seven years.
His fascination with Japanese characters led Chanathip to first discover his passion for carving wooden toys. Working on several works that reflected his inner sentiments led him to later create Fat Fox and a girl named Moon as his signature characters. They reflect his inner emotions, including his daily thoughts and moods. The majority of the pieces on display convey stories of love, happiness, nostalgia, loneliness and hope.
Fat Fox is a hopeless romantic who is enchanted by the constant glow of Moon, yet he is never able to grasp or possess her light. Fat Fox’s obsession with Moon’s mesmerising glow causes him to constantly gaze longingly upon his unrequited love from the shadows. On a wider philosophical take, just as we are unable to capture the moonlight by hand, this tale serves as a reminder that there are facets of existence and living that transcend beyond the visible and material.
In this exhibition, he presents more than 70 carved sculptures alongside more than 80 paintings. Moreover, there's a unique Gashapon vending machine for art aficionados to acquire models of special characters.
You can also sign up for the "Wood Carving Workshop" hosted by the artist on Oct 1 from 10am-6pm. No experience is needed but you have to cough up the fee of B3,500 per person.
The "Moonlight" exhibition by Chanathip Chuenbumroong runs until Oct 22 at Central Space, Level 3, Central: The Original Store. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 10am-6pm.
