A black French Louis style dressing table looks strangely beautiful. On it is a black vase filled with elegant black roses and cosmetic bottles on the table are also black. On the left side of the dressing table is a mannequin dressed in a stylish black evening gown and on the right side is a black floor lamp with a delicately carved lampshade. In addition, there is a chair along with bags and shoes in the same area.
This unusual dressing table and other props are on display at People's Gallery in Bangkok Art and Culture Centre and viewers will quickly realise that every object in the dressing room is an art exhibition. The exhibition is titled "Luxury", by Anukool Tungthaisong, who revealed that every artwork in this exhibition is black because it is covered or made from inner tubes from truck tyres.
"I used discarded rubber as the material since nobody cares about it and rubber also represents labour. Using rubber to wrap artwork conveys that we do not know what the inside is like from its outward appearance. We do not know whether things inside are real or not. The exhibition showcases the modern-day value of luxury. Showcasing this exhibition in a location surrounded by luxurious shopping malls allows 'Luxury' to portray its meaning," explained Anukool.
Artist Anukool Tungthaisong at his exhibition ‘Luxury’. (Photos: Apichart Jinakul)
"Luxury" is the second solo exhibition by Anukool. He began working with rubber since he was a third-year undergraduate student at the Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University.
"I took my motorcycle to a repair shop and a mechanic changed the inner tube. At the time, I was looking for a material to work on for a project, so I decided to use rubber since it plays a crucial role in rural areas and is a metaphor for the working class," he said.
"My first project was inspired by manual water pumps used to pump groundwater in rural areas. As manual water pumps are rare now, they remind us of transformation which people do not know if it will lead to something better. I made my own manual water pump from photos on the internet and wrapped it with motorcycle inner tubes."
Chao Phraya.
Anukool has developed many artworks involving rubber. He changed from motorcycle inner tubes to truck tubes when he started creating larger works. One of his outstanding pieces, Dinner is a luxurious dining set which consists of a long black table with nine stylish chairs. There is a black vase of black roses and black tableware on the table. An ornate chandelier hangs on a ceiling above the dining table.
Dinner, which was a part of his thesis during his bachelor's degree, won bronze prize in the mixed media category at the National Exhibition of Art in 2022. Additionally, "Dinner" was his first solo exhibition at the People's Gallery in the BACC.
"Dinner was inspired by the idea of an expensive meal that many people cannot afford, yet it is an ordinary meal for some people. All the components of Dinner are black; the table, the vase, the tableware and chandelier are wrapped with rubber. When people view 'Dinner', they can smell the pungent chemical stench of rubber instead of the savoury scent of food. I created one table and one chair for the collection; other chairs were store-bought. The table and chair that I created are meant to raise the question of what is real and what is fake under the same appearance."
(Photos courtesy of Anukool Tungthaisong)
After creating Dinner, Anukool was selected to be one among 12 people to participate in the 2019 Young Artists Talent Programme organised by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture. The programme took the 12 aspiring artists to Naoshima Island in Japan. Visiting the island, which is a hub for contemporary art, was an eye-opening experience for Anukool.
"I was impressed how Naoshima Island was well-designed. To preserve the island's natural beauty, the Chichu Art Museum was built underground. I saw work created by renowned artists including Claude Monet and Yayoi Kusama. The experience inspired me with ideas of creating artistic settings and using techniques that I had never used before," he said.
"I saw carved paper in Japan which gave me the idea of adapting the technique to use on a lampshade in 'Luxury'. I also used larger rubber pieces and more detailed stitching and embroidery techniques. Additionally, I decided to pursue a degree, so I could continually develop my work under guidance."
Chao Phraya, which is another artwork by Anukool, is now on display at the 9th floor of BACC. Chao Phraya won an honourable mention award at the 14th White Elephant Art Award. As a 2D work, Chao Phraya, is different from 3D pieces like Luxury and Dinner.
Anukool portrays the theme "Water and Alteration" as assigned by the White Elephant Art Award by showing how the Chao Phraya River has been a crucial part of Thai people's life for a long time. His artwork Chao Phraya was inspired by ferry boats people use to cross the river. The artwork depicts various kinds of boats made of rubber. Meanwhile, many temples painted with an airbrush fill up the background.
"I noticed ferries have tyres hung around their sides as fenders which prevent them from bumping into piers and other boats. Thus, I created images of boats from pieces of rubber. I used an airbrush to create images of temples because in the past, temples were at the centre of Thai people's lives."
As a full-time artist, Anukool participated in many art competitions to finance his future work. When he does not win any award, he has to work as an art handler.
"I do not feel pressure if I do not win any award, but I have to analyse how I can improve."
Anukool plans to create more works with rubber. His ultimate goal is to create an art gallery using rubber as a medium on his land in Nakhon Ratchasima.
"I plan to build a whole house which will be a small art gallery covered with rubber. It will be my lifetime project," he said.
"The main goal of being an artist is to exhibit work. As an artist, I accept all kinds of feedback. I am happy to create artwork and still have energy to create more work."
"Luxury" runs at People's Gallery P3 room, 2nd Floor of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, until May 4. Admission is free. For more information, visit instagram.com/jai_anukool.
