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NATEE UTARIT’S “DÉJÀ VU: WHEN THE SUN RISES IN THE WEST”

Currently on show at the Silpakorn University Art Centre in Bangkok is Natee Utarit’s solo exhibition "Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West". ART SG's Tan Siuli walks us through the exhibition, which imagines Buddha’s hypothetical journey to the West, and the possibilities arising from this exchange of cultures.

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Silpakorn University Art Centre, Bangkok, Thailand
4 March – 7 May 2022
Organised by the Art Centre, Silpakorn University in collaboration with Richard Koh Fine Art

Currently on show at the Silpakorn University Art Centre in Bangkok is Natee Utarit’s solo exhibition "Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West".
Currently on show at the Silpakorn University Art Centre in Bangkok is Natee Utarit’s solo exhibition "Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West".
Encompassing a range of artistic mediums from painting to sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and embroidery, the exhibition imagines Buddha’s hypothetical journey to the West, and the possibilities arising from this exchange of cultures.
Encompassing a range of artistic mediums from painting to sculpture, mosaic, stained glass and embroidery, the exhibition imagines Buddha’s hypothetical journey to the West, and the possibilities arising from this exchange of cultures.
The genesis for this body of work arose during Natee’s time in Naples, Italy, where he was working on a project with the Fondazione Made In Cloister.
The genesis for this body of work arose during Natee’s time in Naples, Italy, where he was working on a project with the Fondazione Made In Cloister.
An encounter with a Greco-Roman sculpture at an archaeological museum triggered a sense of déjà vu in the artist, who eventually realized that the sculpture reminded him of a statue of the Walking Buddha created by Silpa Bhisrasri (1892 – 1962), an Italian sculptor and founder of the Silpakorn University in Bangkok, an institution dedicated to the fine arts.
An encounter with a Greco-Roman sculpture at an archaeological museum triggered a sense of déjà vu in the artist, who eventually realized that the sculpture reminded him of a statue of the Walking Buddha created by Silpa Bhisrasri (1892 – 1962), an Italian sculptor and founder of the Silpakorn University in Bangkok, an institution dedicated to the fine arts.
“At that very moment, it was DÉJÀ VU. Thereafter, I began seeing things in a different light. Wherever I looked, I saw hints of connections.” – Natee Utarit
“At that very moment, it was DÉJÀ VU. Thereafter, I began seeing things in a different light. Wherever I looked, I saw hints of connections.” – Natee Utarit
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“It is in this frame of mind that I saw the image of the Life of Buddha, intertwined within the history of Pompei and its mosaic works, and that is when I envisioned the possibilities of the Lord Buddha’s footprints set in mosaic… The historical atmosphere at The Made In Cloister deeply inspired me, and that was the starting point of all my ideas and thoughts for my Déjà vu series.” – Natee Utarit
“It is in this frame of mind that I saw the image of the Life of Buddha, intertwined within the history of Pompei and its mosaic works, and that is when I envisioned the possibilities of the Lord Buddha’s footprints set in mosaic… The historical atmosphere at The Made In Cloister deeply inspired me, and that was the starting point of all my ideas and thoughts for my Déjà vu series.” – Natee Utarit
Several other parallels surface throughout the exhibition. The similarities in the stories of both Christ and Buddha’s impending passing, for instance, inspired Natee to invoke the tableau of 'The Last Supper' to re-tell a familiar story with a new protagonist.
Several other parallels surface throughout the exhibition. The similarities in the stories of both Christ and Buddha’s impending passing, for instance, inspired Natee to invoke the tableau of 'The Last Supper' to re-tell a familiar story with a new protagonist.
silpakorn_install shots 2 nd floor_16
Fittingly, the exhibition is installed in the Silpakorn University Art Centre– an Italianate building that used to be part of the Tha Phra Palace– itself a legacy of a history of cultural exchange between Thailand and the West, and a postcolonial, cross-cultural ‘double vision’ which Natee negotiates through his work.
Fittingly, the exhibition is installed in the Silpakorn University Art Centre– an Italianate building that used to be part of the Tha Phra Palace– itself a legacy of a history of cultural exchange between Thailand and the West, and a postcolonial, cross-cultural ‘double vision’ which Natee negotiates through his work.
"Déjà vu" marks a homecoming for Natee Utarit, who last exhibited his work at this institution as a student.
"Déjà vu" marks a homecoming for Natee Utarit, who last exhibited his work at this institution as a student.
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Exhibition images by Thanarat Siripidej, courtesy of Richard Koh Fine Art

Portrait of Natee Utarit courtesy the artist

“Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West” is organized by the Art Centre, Silpakorn University in collaboration with Richard Koh Fine Art.

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