Hybridity, exoticism and folklore are key to understanding whimsical creatures in "Nobody Loves No One", which is running at Noname Gallery in Chiang Mai, until May 30.
An oil pastel on canvas by Cofi. (Photo courtesy of Noname Gallery)
This is a solo exhibition by Cofi, an entity created by gallerist Pierre Béchon who grew up as a third culture kid between France, Mexico and Brazil among other countries in the Americas. He has been based in Thailand for over a decade.
He presents a series of paintings portraying his flamboyant bestiary that -- inspired as much by Aesop's fables or Ovid's Metamorphosis as Mexican myths and Thai ghost stories -- invites viewers to plunge into a vivid world of wild emotions.
Monitor lizards, bats or giant octopuses mirror the artist's rich catalogue of tales from around the world and from different eras, but also draw inspiration from his most intimate experiences.
Some of his characters like the werewolf can be seen as self-portraits or representations of his intimate relationships. The loose words tossed across the canvases are often directly drawn from his passionate and tumultuous love affairs.
The large-scale formats of wavy canvases are immersive, highly colourful and attractive like a night creature wearing too much make-up to cover up her age or blandness. The homemade soft pastels used by the artist give a highly sensual velvety feel.
Even though the compositions and depicted animals and plants are very much "alive", the general finish of the works is flat, as in a tarot card, or a popular image of a saint found in a side road shop in South America.
The depth of his art lies in its contrasts -- between contemporary and urban art, ancient literature and popular culture references, the mythical and the factual, and the universal and the intimate.
Noname Gallery is on Takilek Road, Nong Kaew of Hang Dong, Chiang Mai and opens Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm.
Call 053-441-254.