We can all agree on one thing: this whole pandemic is a crapfest. The time when Thailand was lauded for successfully handling the first wave has long gone and we are in the throes of the third wave with daily cases almost hitting 10,000 (at least in the time of going to print), hospitals running out of beds for patients and vaccinations going at a snail's pace. The anger and fury directed at the government's handling of the third wave has reached boiling point and none are more vocal about it than political artists, who have found a home, voice and audience on Facebook. From tarot cards to 3D renders, here are a few artists who use their art to make their voices heard.
UNINSPIRED BY CURRENT EVENTS
fb.com/UninspiredByCurrentEvents
The cheekily-named Facebook page has garnered a following of more than 40,000 for the posting of 3D-rendered images, which at first glance seem absurd but for anyone who is even vaguely familiar with #whatshappeninginThailand, it's anything but.
(Photos: Saratta Chuengsatiansup)
The artist behind the page is Saratta Chuengsatiansup, a Chulalongkorn graduate. And despite the obvious commentary his art is making, he doesn't consider his work as political. "I just wanted to make daily rendered images that look good and are somewhat useful to people as a creative outlet," he says.
"I wanted to make pictures that reference the current uninspiring events in Thailand, but can still be appreciated months later by non-Thais, which means I have to make fairly polished images in a very short timeframe, so working in 3D by arranging pre-made assets into surreal landscapes to reference politics seemed logical."
From giant chickens with hammers for heads to vaccines being rolled by a conveyor belt into the great unknown, the images are sobering and subtly funny. Finding inspiration isn't a problem for Saratta though. "I try to make one picture every day but it seems like this country wants me to do more than one." Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing is debatable.
Posting political content on social media can be risky -- unless of course, you're singing praise for the government -- and Saratta is mindful of that. "I avoid putting images of real politicians in my work because I want my work to look good. But you never know what excuses they may have when they come for you." Despite this, he says, "It's as if they [the government] think they will magically stay in power somehow, even if people don't vote for them in the next election."
THAI POLITICAL TAROT
"When I was learning about the meaning of each tarot card, I noticed that ongoing political phenomenons, including youth-led movements, the repression of basic human rights and the collapsing propaganda, can be represented as tarot cards," explains Panadda Tempaiboonkul, on how she came about doing Thai Political Tarot.
(Photos: Panadda Tempaiboonkul)
She started the tarot cards around the same time as the youth-led pro-democracy movement, which was also the time she was learning tarot reading. Though she first uploaded them privately, her friends were the ones who convinced her to post on a public page. "Buddhism greatly influences Thai society. The law of karma is also utilised as the explanation of social structure. This belief makes people surrender to their fate," she explains. "I would like to propose that living under full democracy we will own our destiny. I want to emphasise that we are fighting for social change and share the same goal: a better future for Thailand."
Making the tarot cards aren't just a simple one-and-done deal. "The challenge is that I might not be familiar with a few issues but I want my art to express the voices of people. So it takes time to make a few art pieces. I read articles, study people's opinions on social media or talk to people." Although it's certainly an outlet, making art isn't necessarily cathartic for Panadda. "Making them can be depressing at times. Especially when I realise that apart from the elite, everyone is a victim of the system. Moreover, the pandemic makes this country more like a dystopia." She adds, "However, I still make political art since I really have hope in the pro-democracy movement."
When asked on the issue of censorship, she believes she isn't doing anything illegal but that doesn't mean she doesn't worry at times. "What I am doing obviously doesn't violate the law. I believe that we all have freedom of expression. But we can see the government is trying to enforce censorship as much as they can. As a human, it is impossible not to worry."
However, that doesn't mean she's stopping anytime soon. "What would happen if everybody stayed silent? Nothing would change. Thai artists are talented and have a creative sense of humour but only art supporting the government's political ideology is highly glorified. Doing political art is a way to claim our rights."
SINA WITTAYAWIROJ
fb.com/Sina.Wittayawiroj.Official
If you've followed Voice TV's FB page then you've probably seen some of Sina Wittayawiroj's illustrations with vibrant colours but with depictions of things that are anything but "vibrant".
(Photos: Sina Wittayawiroj)
Sina started making political art back when the Constitutional Court ruled that the Future Forward Party should be dissolved. "The atmosphere was full of anger so I tried to express that into my work," he explains. He goes on to say that emotions like that are something he tries to evoke in the art, which is why the colours are the way they are. "One thing that seems to appear in my pieces is over-saturation in one way or another, like colours. If there's anger, I make it angrier. If it's sad, I make it sadder. I want my viewers to stop and feel something about the political issues going on."
Sina is no stranger to being heavily criticised (though that's putting it very mildly) for his artwork. He recalls how he received a huge amount of backlash for the views he expresses in his art and was even barred from having an exhibition during his university days. "But everything that's going on in this country brings me back to creating again and again. Sometimes, I feel tired but I've never thought about stopping."
Though his opinions on the government are pretty clear, he was also clear and succinct on his opinion about how they've handled the pandemic. "I think this is the worst example of how to deal with the pandemic. It's all about their position in the government and not for the people."
All his heavy-handed criticism against the powers-that-be does make him nervous whenever he uploads another scathing artwork but that is quickly overtaken when he sees just how many people are calling for change and better governance. "I feel like I can't ignore it or be afraid to say something anymore. I feel that it's the right thing to do."
Politicaly honest
Looking for more political art that’s funny yet scathingly honest and unique in its form? Check out these two pages that have also garnered a sizable following. It’s not difficult to see why.
PIXEL CRAZY 8BIT
As a nerd, I've always loved 8Bit art and animation so the intersection of political art with retro-arcade art was a no-brainer for me. Complete with the sprite version of Uncle Tu, as well as other political figures, Pixel Crazy 8Bit transforms social issues plaguing the country to entertaining pixelated frames. Of course, despite most of the images looking like a screenshot of a Thai version of Metal Slug, the underlying meaning of it all is far from a fun video game. While 8Bit characters are fun to look at, it's a little jarring when they're depicted as dying, hanging from nooses or in coffins. That's the contrast you can expect from Pixel Crazy 8Bit.
(Photo: Pixel Crazy 8Bit)
KAI MAEW
Kai Maew is another page that produces political art in a nostalgic art form. The artwork posted on the page is reminiscent of old comic books you might have read as a kid (or maybe you're still reading them, no judgement here). The style does evoke a nostalgic feeling but the images can range from being hilarious to somewhat dark. One of the images features a character joyfully avoiding potholes thanks to majestic and expensive gold lamp posts, while another features what seems to be a high-ranking government official -- perhaps one who holds a position that rhymes with "Grime Winnister" -- on top of a coffin being carried to the crematorium. Once again, contrast.
(Photo: Kai Maew)
