WHY ARE YOU INTERESTED IN GENETIC ENGINEERING? I personally like the subject matter and wanted to question it through my artwork. Unlike artists in the past that worked under common genres such as portraiture, animals or landscape, art has becomes more personal with artists incorporating their own interests in their work. Genetically engineered animals and plants are now a reality and I think we still don't fully know the effect they can have on human beings.
WHAT'S YOUR STANCE ON GENETIC ENGINEERING?
Let me be clear: I don't think of genetic modification in farming as a purely negative thing. I know it could improve plants and animals, making them stronger against diseases. But I also want to look at the negative sides of this technology too because it could be something that affects human beings. I think it's fair to ask, "Could modified produce cause cancer or have other negative consequences on people?"
WHERE DOES YOUR INTEREST IN SCIENCE STEM FROM?
I studied maths and science while I was in school and they stuck with me. I had to memorise the periodic table and all that jazz, but when I later studied art for my Bachelor's and Master's degrees, it was the opposite experience. These two extremes shaped who I am as an artist. While my subject matter is serious and negative, I try to make it appealing to look at. I find some artists are too focused on creating beautiful works without having developed the concept behind them, but that's not me.
WHO IS YOUR FAVOURTIE ARTIST?
I like artists with a distinctive style, for example Damien Hirst who has dissected animals, preserved them and turned them into art. I'm drawn to him because of the dark element in his work.
WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON THEME IN YOUR ART?
I'm doing a thesis for my Master's degree in painting at Silpakorn University and it's about drug experiments on animals. My most common theme is the dark side of technology. If people blindly follow the latest technology all the time, it's a race we're gonna lose because we don't know the long-term effects and we're running after a finish line that is constantly being set further away. People can't have the latest technology because once they have it, a newer version of it is already in development somewhere. We ought to stay still and learn how to live without it sometimes. Sure, technology can make our life more convenient but we need to find a balance and not overly rely on it in every aspect of our lives.
DO YOU HAVE ANY TIPS FOR ASPIRING YOUNG ARTISTS?
While it's good to experiment with different mediums, I think at some point you need to find your own signature and develop works from subject matters that really speak to you.
FACTBOX
The works of 28-year-old Thongmai "Ber" Thepram have received awards at local competitions and have been featured in group exhibitions both in and out of the country. In his first solo exhibition, "Introgression", eight paintings of misshapen cows and pigs cast doubt over the practice of genetic engineering. The exhibition runs until Feb 5 at Eat Me Restaurant (Open 3pm-1am, Soi Pipat 2, Soi Convent, 02-238-0931).
