Wittawat Tongkeaw is an artist who stands for democratic ideals and social change. At his third solo exhibition, "The L/Royal Monument", Wittawat conveys how his political views have changed. His turning point came after he read books in different fields such as philosophy and social science, as well as some that are banned.
"I read books in order to find answers to what I do not understand and the more I read, the more I have no excuse for not believing. I have gained knowledge of things I was not aware of before," said Wittawat.
"The title of this exhibition, 'The L/Royal Monument', refers to the parallel between mainstream and alternative viewpoints. The exhibition does not mention people in the middle at all. There is the left and right or top and bottom only. I am ready to explain what my standpoint is."
"The L/Royal Monument" is divided into four sections -- Interlude, Imagining Law Abiding Citizens, Memorabilia and The Artist's Trail -- that depict the artist's messages through painting, photography and installation. The first section, Interlude, exhibits Wittawat's skill in oil on canvas. His paintings are detailed and look more like photographs.
"I use landscape paintings to communicate political issues and symbols in my paintings hint at changes in my viewpoints. These nine paintings feature the atmosphere of 'interregnum' or dusk which refers to an interval between two periods when the old will pass and a new era will arrive. Since the paintings portray the period of dusk around 6pm or 7pm, the atmosphere will become darker and the conflicts will continue for a while," said Wittawat.
Graduate (To 121).
The nine landscape paintings in Interlude feature locations related to political conflict such as Sanam Luang, Wat Pathum Wanaram Rachaworawihan and Ratchaprasong Intersection. The painting Intersection Of Wills portrays a view of Ratchaprasong from behind a barrier which has an unpleasant appearance because it is a side that not many people pass and see. This means only the pleasant side is presented to the public, which is common in this country. The painting Interregnum, illustrates a wall in Wat Pathum Wanaram Rachaworawihan.
"There was an anti-government rally and protesters used paint in many areas, including this temple. Afterwards, their paintings were painted over and I took photos of the wall and then created this painting. In the painting, viewers can see untidy layers. The new version refers to an attempt to convert the wall back to its original condition but also attempts to hide something. However, traces of damage cannot be completely hidden," said Wittawat.
In the second section, Imagining Law Abiding Citizens, there are four portraits of people -- anti-government protest leader Anon Nampa, writer Bandit Aniya, Patiwat "Mor Lam Bank" Saraiyaem and K (pseudonym) -- who are all charged with lese-majeste under Section 112 of the Criminal Code. Before Wittawat painted these portraits, he interviewed people who faced similar charges.
Intersection Of Wills.
"We find out about lese-majeste charges in the news but we do not know what really happens. Due to my curiosity, I talked to many people who were charged with lese-majeste and even visited an activist, Pai Dao Din, in prison. I was at a court to experience the hearing. I chose these four people because I interviewed them and they were in trouble. The portrait section is also called Blue Period because these people are in an unhappy state and I painted them against a blue background," said Wittawat.
The painting of Anon Nampa, Captain Justice, was drawn from photos that Wittawat took when he met Anon. On that day, the anti-government protest leader was carrying a backpack with a cute stuffed rabbit in the back.
"The stuffed rabbit belonged to his daughter. I took several photos of Anon that day, but I chose the one where he was walking forward in order to convey a similar meaning of his last name, Nampa, which means 'to lead'."
Liberation Monument.
The painting of 80-year-old writer Bandit Aniya, Graduate (To 121), is intriguing since it is a portrait where viewers can see only his belongings.
"Bandit carried a big bag in preparation for his imprisonment but the trial was adjourned that day. The painting is an image of when he took his belongings out. He had prepared an orange prison suit, a fork, a spoon and a bag that he had designed himself. He also had an external urinary bag and medical equipment in a white box because he has kidney disease," said the artist.
On view on the 2nd floor of SAC Gallery, the third section, Memorabilia, displays a slide show of 26 photos of the homeless and people who live day to day. The photo of a street performer, Memorabilia No.1, was chosen to present the glass plate negative technique that was introduced in Thailand during the reign of King Rama III.
"It is my debut photograph exhibition. I chose photos of people whom I talked to on the streets and portrayed them. Another technique is glass plate negative, which was used in the past and available only for high-class people since it was expensive," said Wittawat.
The final section, The Artist's Trail, exhibits four installations -- Turn, Creation – Conclusion, The Infinite Sphere and Liberation Monument. Each piece depicts changes in his political views. Turn is purposely displayed with the back to the viewer so it cannot be seen and was created when Wittawat was an art student, Creation – Conclusion is an image of the sky reflected on the floor, and The Infinite Sphere is an upside-down painting stand.
Captain Justice, a painting of Anon Nampa.
Liberation Monument, which shows a stack of books from the floor to the ceiling, is located at the end of the exhibition. Reading those books was the beginning of his change. To tackle sensitive subjects, especially lese-majeste, is not easy. Wittawat admitted that he is aware of the risk but it is what he can do as an artist to express himself.
"Someone told me that I already have one foot in prison when working on this kind of art but I work under the restrictions. I am not afraid if people do not buy my paintings since recording history in this era is much more important. As an artist, creating artworks and releasing them to the public is all I can do," concluded Wittawat.
"The L/Royal Monument" runs at SAC Gallery, Sukhumvit 39, until Sept 18. Due to the Covid-19 situation, the exhibition can be viewed online at tinyurl.com/4294whwz and tinyurl.com/4r8nkncp. Visit facebook.com/sacbangkok for more information.
