Two artists, Pang Torsuwan and Atchalinee Kesornsook, have recurring dreams where they both go to restrooms and other people can see what they do there. Another artist, Onanong Kaewsomboon, aka Jang Onanong, dreamed that her friend visited her. The dream was so realistic and Jang was excited but she suddenly woke up and felt lost when she realised that her friend was not there. These cases were part of a discussion among the trio about dreams before they began working on their group exhibition "While You Were Sleeping" on view at Palette Art Space.
"We are interested in working on a motif about dreams because we, especially Atchalinee and I, dream very often and we had similar dreams. I even looked for the meaning of our recurring dreams and found they relate to frustration or embarrassment. We wondered if it was possible that while we are sleeping, something inside us, such as our souls or our thoughts, become our dreams. It is interesting how we live in two different worlds -- the awake world and the sleeping world," said Pang.
Jang said she feels that dreams are something to cherish since it seems like there is someone who selects a dream for people. In "While You Were Sleeping", there are many paintings that Jang drew of two girls who look similar, but are different in detail. Since the artist likes plants and nature, she added flowers in the paintings to describe more about each character.
When I Sleep, My Twin Sister Appear No.1.
Sometime… I See Myself.
"Your Turn, When I Sleep is a painting of two characters. After one character sleeps, the other wakes up and has her own journey in a parallel world. In When I Sleep, My Twin Sister Appear No.1, I drew a sunflower for the character who stays up during the daytime and moonflowers for the nighttime character. I also drew fairies in two different paintings, Some Kind Of Flowers Bloom In Daylight…Like A Dream and Some Kind Of Flowers Bloom At Night…Like A Dream. The daytime fairy has flowers that open with sunlight such as sunflowers, bougainvillaeas and Ruellia simplexes, while the night fairy has night-blooming flowers such as orange jessamines. I wanted to illustrate flowers in the paintings because I believe they are gifts that everyone earns from nature equally. We have equality in that way," said Jang.
The painting, Sometime… I See Myself is an acrylic on canvas that portrays how girls of different ages wear red overalls. Jang said she drew this painting to emphasise being yourself.
Atchalinee Kesornsook.
"The different characters are the same person. A person can wear many different hats. I sometimes was criticised for changing and behaving differently but I think people have to adjust themselves to fit in different places and times but that does not mean I am not myself," said Jang.
The collection by Pang consists of six oil on canvas paintings which are divided into two different themes -- "You are the director of your dream" and "Meditation".
"We probably cannot control our dreams but every element in the dream is connected to us. The Theatre and The Play depict a dream that is like a theatre and an actress in the painting performs our fantasy. Separation and Isolation are about meditation. A woman closes her eyes and stays calm but does not sleep. I decided to work on the theme of meditation because during meditation, people have to isolate themselves and close their eyes which is similar to sleep. When I meditate, my mind is empty and I feel the world disappears. The final painting, Awakening, is the only piece in which a woman has her eyes open. It means she is awake and has wisdom. Meditation helps me to concentrate on my work but it cannot stop me from having nightmares," said Pang.
Do You Want To Play?.
Before becoming a full-time artist, Atchalinee was a graphic designer which caused her to have a restless mind. Even though she quit that job, her troubled thoughts still continue.
"I do not know how to turn off my anxiety, so it comes out in dreams. Hence, I turned the dreams into artwork which has become a form of therapy to me. In my collection, the characters are loveable but in some paintings, I convey stories with dark themes. In Do You Want To Play?, girls and pets play jump rope together. One cat has a horn and it stabs the other pets and the girls while jumping, so they start to bleed. I take care of many disabled cats and often dream that they can walk and dance. The idea of the painting came about from those dreams. The painting, Moon Night, which portrays a girl bitten by a bat was inspired by another dream of mine," said Atchalinee.
To challenge themselves, the trio tried something new for the collection. Jang said she used to create her early collections by using her personal feelings and later changed to develop artwork from a motif that anyone can relate to. For Pang, she tried to create different textures for the first time.
"I experimented by cutting pieces of denim and leather into curving forms and used them to create new textures in the paintings, so they have more dimensions. It was enjoyable and the results were unexpected," explained Pang.
Atchalinee's collection consists of seven small paintings which were sold before the opening of the exhibition. Two of the paintings, Maggie & Merry and Pixie, are the smallest measuring 9cm in both width and length.
Pang Torsuwan with The Theatre, left, and Isolation.
"I am excited to see miniature items and like to collect them. In Thailand, some artists decide to draw large paintings which can be sold at high prices. However, I prefer small painting. It is a delight to see interested visitors come close to my painting to view the details," said Atchalinee.
With no degree from any art school, these three self-taught artists encountered many difficulties before their works began to be appreciated by art enthusiasts and collectors. Pang said sometimes she felt like she is an outsider in the art industry and to continue this career, she has to encourage herself often. Atchalinee said she has gone through much trial and error before arriving at satisfactory results.
Awakening.
The Play. Photo: Suwitcha Chaiyong
"Without an academic background, I have learned everything myself. I think most self-taught artists take a long time to work on art pieces because our process is not efficient like those with formal art education, however, we are pleased with our results. We try our best. I hope self-taught artists won't forget that we have to let our hearts guide us in our work and that we must stay true to ourselves and that's the way we should keep it," concluded Atchalinee.
"While You Were Sleeping" runs at Palette Artspace, Soi Thonglor, until April 18. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/palette.artspace or call 064-587-6788 for more information.
