Exploration of identity

Organised by River City Bangkok and 608 Gallery, the art exhibition "ARK-T", or "Art Road Korean Thai", aims to bridge Korean and Thai artist communities. Created by 15 talented Korean and Thai artists, "ARK-T" displays the works of artists who have different interpretations of their own journey.

The exhibition concept is about how each artist goes through trial and error to discover their style.

Kim Song-tae, the exhibition curator, explained, that of the 15 artists, four Korean artists were selected as they had exhibited their work at RCB last year while the other six Korean artists were selected through an open call for which 118 participants applied. Five Thai artists were also selected by River City Bangkok.

Kim has noticed differences between the Thai and Korean art markets, so he chose artwork that can appeal to potential collectors in Thailand.

"I observed the Thai art market for three years and held an exhibition in Bangkok last year. Thai collectors prefer artwork that is easier to access. Pop art was a trend in South Korea three years ago but Koreans are now interested in modern art. However, modern art does not appeal to Thai art market. Therefore, the exhibition features some pop art and vibrant artwork," explained Kim.

Yoo Jae-youn, the main artist of 608 Gallery, depicts lives of ordinary people through her notable character Kimsee. 'Kim' is a common last name of Koreans and 'see' refers to the act of seeing. Yoo has worked on ceramics for years and has created paintings specifically for 608 Gallery. While ceramics have limited storytelling capabilities, paintings allow Yoo to depict a wide range of Kimsee's stories.

Kimsee by Yoo Jae-youn.

In "ARK-T", the Breaktime series portrays Kim as an urban resident who wants some alone time, but his busy life does not allow it. Thus, he imagines the life he wants. Yoo's work stands out for its vibrant colours and authentic portrayal of Korean people's features and characteristics.

Lee Taxoo is a ceramicist whose work showcases a combination of tradition and innovation within contemporary ceramic art. His Re-Born Series displays a huge collection of ceramics which Lee worked on in Jingdezhen, China. He repurposes broken bottoms of ancient Chinese bowls into new ceramic creations, connecting the past and present.

Kim Song-tae explained that no one cares for these broken ceramic pieces, but Lee wants to draw attention to what is left behind that people do not care about.

In addition to the Re-Born Series, Lee created Color Series which displays paper tubes that absorb different dyes, resulting in different patterns. Lee dedicated a lot of time to create a formula for his colours. To create paper tubes to his satisfaction, he had to dye over 10,000 paper tubes which absorbed colours in different ways. Lee's work is impressive with his creativity and remarkable technique.

Korean artist Manwook explores the relationship between humans and non-human species. In his work, machines are depicted as companions and warm beings, not cold steel machines. The curator commented that Manwook is a kind person and some paintings were inspired by his own dogs. Manwook's artworks have been well-received, so his schedule for next year is fully booked.

The Lifetime Colossal Egg by Lamunlamai.

Lamunlamai, a renowned craft studio, was established by Nol Netprom and Mai Nopkamon. The Thai duo has a commitment to material experimentation, mindful processes and sustainable craftsmanship. At "ARK-T", the duo experimented with their first sculpture collection in the shape of an egg. The largest porcelain sculpture is titled The Lifetime Colossal Egg. Meanwhile, the collection of sculptures of different sizes that can be stacked like a Matryoshka Doll is called The Lifetime Egg Sculpture.

"We decided to create sculptures because they are something new and an expansion of what we have done. The process of ceramics can also be linked to making sculptures."

Nol explained that the collection is called lifetime because it depicts Lamunlamai's journey for over a decade. The Lifetime collection represents their rebirth and persistence.

"Once ceramics are made, they will stay with us forever unless they break. Since we have created tableware, we collected waste from the food industry, such as eggshells, oyster and mussel shells and mixed them into the clay and glaze. As a result, the sculpture textures are semi glossy and semi matte which differ from other ceramics."

Besides The Lifetime collection, the duo also created a tableware collection called Journey Plate, which is displayed on the wall. Each plate portrays food, dessert and liquor.

From left, The Hidden Self Within Us, The Gift Of A Traveler and The Destination Of Hope by Sittichai Yodchompoo.

"Since we mainly design tableware, each plate in Journey Plate displays objects that represent our journey in each period of time. Every moment revolves around tableware, utensils, eating and drinking, which are part of everyday life. Those who are interested can purchase these plates as a set, use it as decoration on the wall or use it on the dining table," said Mai.

Sandier is a charming pink character brought to life by Sittichai Yodchompoo. Sandier gained recognition from the public when Sittichai created Sandier as Santa Claus in a collaborative campaign with Central Department Store last year.

Sittichai revealed that he created Sandier to represent himself. Sandier appears in pink because it is his and his mother's favourite colour. In digital art, viewers can see that Sandier features texture of sand which represent his family business. His family ships sand to construction sites. Sittichai explained that he has no confidence in his appearance, so he chooses to cover Sandier's face with a beard.

Sittichai created three paintings for "ARK-T". The first painting, The Hidden Self Within Us, illustrates Sittichai's journey as an artist. He explained that he connected all three paintings with images of clouds because he does not know what will happen in the future on the path of being an artist. The Gift Of A Traveler depicts Sandier on his journey and how he handles difficulties. The Destination Of Hope portrays how Sandier eventually meets his fellow artists whom he can share his dreams and struggles with.

From left, The Three Companions, The Seven Companions and The Solitude Traveler by Sirichai Noree.

Sirichai Noree, better known as Ponoree is passionate about drawing cartoons through simple lines. The Solitude Traveler, The Three Companions and The Seven Companions are black and white paintings with a few bright blue crystal spots.

Sirichai earned his bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University. Before graduating, Sirichai encountered financial difficulty and sometimes had to withdraw from some classes to work. The difficulty affected his work by turning his coloured paintings into black and white.

Sirichai also portrays his loneliness through the first painting The Solitude Traveler. Meanwhile, The Three Companions and The Seven Companions represent the time that he met his travel companions who supported him and gave him the motivation to keep going. The bright blue crystals represent good things that happened in his life.

Witchuta Limpanwat, aka Palim, is an illustrator, a cactus gardener and canto poet. Witchuta interprets the exhibition concept which is about the journey of her return to her hometown Trat. Most of the paintings were inspired by her childhood memories of the sea, beaches and kites. All the paintings have no title; they are described with three lines of canto instead.

"ARK-T" runs at RCB Galleria 3, 2nd floor, River City Bangkok, until Sunday. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/RiverCityBangkok.