Art is a powerful tool for self-expression and statement-making. In recent years, more and more young artists in Thailand have used their artworks as a way to question or critique the status quo -- politically, socially and culturally. They ask whether what's considered normal in Thai culture should be accepted as the norm. Guru speaks to a few with ongoing exhibitions that push the limits.
Oat Montien
Oat Montien has pushed the limit of the Thai life-drawing scene, introducing a series of naked Thai gay-male paintings posing in feminine gestures through his reclining nude exhibition "Songprapha" earlier this year. He also uplifts the LGBTQ+ community by establishing the Bodhisattava Gallery, a safe space dedicated to showcasing artwork by LGBTQ+ artists from Southeast Asia.
(Photos courtesy of Oat Montien)
What got you into life drawing and what makes it fascinating?
Like many art students, I did my life drawing classes in college. Life drawing is a crucial practice for me as I broke up with my long-time partner while studying it in my last year of studying in London. I was completely lost and the only place I could heal my broken heart was to stay behind the drawing board. I was too fragile to meet new people and I could explore intimacy in my drawing sessions instead. I began drawing strangers, friends and lovers. Then I noticed that my drawing had changed as it captured the essence of relationships between me and my sitters. It was like discovering a hidden superpower!
In Thailand, naked female forms are subjects of more artworks compared to the male form. Why did you focus on the male form?
The male nude has long been revered in art history canons, even before the female version. The Renaissance masters gave much more attention to males' physical appearance as it represents the ideal strength and reflection of the divine. The female nude was more considered a subversive object of desire.
I am interested in queering these binary ideas with new questions. Can we free male bodies with different sentiments? What will happen if we draw a man nude in a feminine gesture? And can men's bodies become an object of desire, as well?
As a gay man, I have also encountered gender stereotypes regarding my appearance and expression in our conservative society first-hand. Gay people are pressured to live a certain lifestyle and to have particular characters. So, I would like to challenge these notions through my art.
Nudity is controversial in Thailand. Have you received any criticism?
People tend to love what I do or find it very uncomfortable, as some are still offended by genitals, sensuality or sexuality. To me, naked art is a reflection of the human psyche. Just like every other kind of art, it has its own place to flourish. I will say that we should educate the public instead of making the naked body taboo. Why do not we learn how to look, engage and celebrate it respectfully?
Do you think there's enough space for queer artists in the Thai art scene?
Absolutely not. We have so many complex and beautiful stories to tell, but we do not have enough space and support to nurture these artists and storytellers! Especially for trans artists! It is a shame that our art scene is still dominated by a network of conservative cis-men from Silpakorn!
I took the matter into my own hands and set up the Bodhisattava Gallery that exclusively tells the story of my community, in our own queer way!
What kind of impact does your art have on Thai society?
When I was growing up, I did not see any Thai artists that profoundly portrayed images of queer people. Every day, LGBTQ+ people are humiliated or cursed to be unlucky in love by every media outlet. I suffered under the concept of toxic masculinity; even started to believe that I was not entitled to happiness because of my identity. So now I hope that my art and my gallery will change this, even for one queer kid. I hope my work will provide a safe place that celebrates the LGBTQ+ community in a world that forbids our fundamental human rights with unfair laws and social discrimination. In my style, I hope you see more shades of 'beauty'.
Bodhisattava Gallery is on Song Prapha Road. Visit FB.com/BodhisattavaGallery for a visit by appointment.
Sippakorn "Ken" Khiaosanthia & Anuwat "Jane" Apimukmongkon
Sippakorn "Ken" Khiaosanthia (left), better known as "Baphoboy", is well-known when it comes to taboo subjects. Recently, he teamed up with Anuwat "Jane" Apimukmongkon for a duo exhibition "Thai Men" to question the concept of Thai masculinity, especially regarding monkshood and conscription.
(Photos courtesy of Baphoboy)
What do you think of the Thai concept of masculinity?
Ken: I believe that each of us, men, has our own interpretation of masculinity. However, Thai society has directed us to follow two steps -- ordination and military service -- that will make you a decent man. My artworks from the exhibition do not convey the true meaning of masculinity. I want to raise questions about the components that define it.
Jane: We have to divide the concept of masculinity into two sides: universal principles and Thai standards. Speaking of Thai masculinity, we are expected to follow every step of our conservative norm, which includes ordination and military service, which are what Thai men are assigned to do.
What is the role of a 'decent son' in your perspective?
Ken: Whether you are male or female, or even an LGBTQ+ person, you can still be the salt of the earth. Honestly, I cannot define what exactly 'decent son/daughter' means. I think that having children in the olden days was not for the children to live their own lives but for them to serve their parents for the rest of their lives. In short, children were designed to meet the needs of parents. Take my grandma as an example. She gave birth to 17 children in order to help her harvest the rice fields. I want to point out that kratanyu [gratitude] is just a romanticised concept that wants to riddle us with guilt if we do not repay our parents' kindness.
Jane: The concept of a decent son/daughter is similar to the Thai standard that overrides gender freedom. It has a similar meaning to the phrase that narrow-minded people have about LGBTQ+ people -- 'If you want to express yourself as LGBTQ+, you must behave in a good way'. Besides, the duty of children in Thai society is often associated with gratitude. We must repay our parents' kindness and take good care of them when they are old. I believe we are reminded of this kind of speech over and over. If you look closely at the roots of the Thai family structure, you will find thick layers of inequalities that force children to obey their parents' orders without question.
Do you find it difficult to live up to the roles that Thai society imposes on your gender?
Ken: Living in Thai society as an LGBTQ+ person was not that difficult. I did encounter prejudices regarding my expression and personality. But I chose to ignore those unpleasant thoughts and people and try to live happily in my own way instead. I never thought that being a man meant being a leader or having to bear my family's burdens. However, I am aware of my roles and duties. Or maybe I was born to take care of my family because I'm the only child, growing up in a single-parent family raised by my mum.
Jane: I agreed with what Ken said earlier. Living in a culture that forces us to conform to gender roles is not that problematic, but you must understand how it works and its structure. You should approach it with an open mind. If your perspectives are built on your biases, it will only make you a hypocrite.
Why did you choose monkhood as your subject? How do you feel about Thai men being ordained as a rite of passage and a way to repay parents' kindness?
Jane: Growing up in a Buddhist family in Pattani, where the majority population is Muslim, has manifested an unusual way of life in monkhood. I have seen the pattern of life where Thai men are expected to be ordained right after their graduation. So, I want to bring up that cycle of ordination as an inspiration to my work, in which I added the concept of Thai monkhood, as well. I actually want to uplift Thai monkhood and clarify the status and role of Thai monks that they are also human beings. They are allowed to have sensuality and they should not be judged by their human nature. In short, my work conveys the perspective of reality and the truth of the dharma.
It is the same concept as the propaganda of gratitude that Ken has mentioned. We were brainwashed for so long that ordination is the best way to repay parents' kindness. When I returned to my hometown, I am always asked when I will be ordained. The elderly were implanted with a deep-seated belief in ordination. Plus, they are even indoctrinated that ordination will be a gateway to go to heaven in the afterlife. Think of the phrase like 'koh chai pha-lueng' or to hold on to your son's monk robe to heaven. Honestly, sin and merit are not even the actual concepts of Buddhism's beliefs. Ordination is, somehow, turned into a moral value that is set by Thai standards. If not ordained, you will be condemned by the people around you and labelled as imperfect Thai men who cannot fulfil the proper role of a son.
Tell us about your experience being conscripted into military service. How do you feel about it before compared to after?
Ken: Well, we all know what is waiting for us in the military barracks. Enlisting in the military is like sacrificing a person's future. Yep, it is that serious, but I still wonder why conscription is turned into a fair where families gather to rejoice when their sons have drawn a red card. I did prepare myself before being enlisted. When I got into the military camp, it was not that worse or better than I expected. Or maybe I had got some immunity from the Sotus system that I already faced during my university life. What I really got from military conscription is a better understanding of life.
Most of the men I have seen there are fathers and heads of families who are not ready to leave their kids, wives and parents to live on their own. We do earn B6,000 monthly, which is not enough to support us or our family. Military conscription is an inequality that high-class and rich people will never understand. I did not even see any of the men from higher-class families in this nightmare. People there are just young adults who have missed out on their opportunities and future because of military recruitment. I would not have understood Thai social stratification clearly, had I not been subjected to it during my two years of military conscription.
What do you think about the concept of being a soldier to repay the debt of gratitude for the country?
Ken: It is propaganda for rural people who cannot access the proper education system. Even though those young adults are not ready to sacrifice their future, military conscription, somehow, is a pride for them and their families. Eventually, that value is just fake happiness that was set by elites. Especially with the word 'rak-chat' or patriotism, it is a phrase made up for people to abide by rules that authoritarians used to domesticate people. So, military conscription is definitely not repaying a debt to the country.
Do you think Thai society should allow for more freedom in how people can choose to live their lives regardless of their gender?
Jane: I believe that Thailand gives more freedom than many countries. However, it is the mindsets of people that were indoctrinated with biases and prejudices towards other genders besides male and female.
Ken: I think Thai laws and our social norms are the problems when we talk about the freedom to express our sexuality. Think of Thai bureaucracy as an example. There are lots of limitations for LGBTQ+ people, while most of them tend to give authority to men. Also, when it fused with the one-sided mindset like Jane has mentioned. Both Thai regulations and conservative mindsets are further suppressing our freedom.
"Thai Men", a duo exhibition by Baphoboy and Anuwat "Jane" Apimukmongkon, is on display at WTF Gallery and Café until Nov 28.
Kittaya Poolsawatdi
Kittaya Poolsawatdi has portrayed his own definition of Thainess (or lack thereof) in his solo exhibition "Domesticated" while trying to unmask the false beliefs that shaped the Thailand we live in today. The artist also brings the identity of likay, a Thai musical folk play, to ridicule political circumstances that go far beyond the comedic line.
(Photos courtesy of Joyman Gallery)
What is your definition of 'Thainess'?
I think 'Thainess' could mean anything related to us. Some may say it conveys an exquisiteness of Thai culture, while some may refer to Thai behavioural standards. To me, the word 'Thainess' has been used repeatedly by authoritarians for so long and it left me with a curiosity about what exactly that word means.
I have been digging deeper into our history during the Cold War when Thai society was manipulated by Thainess or nationalism. I want to broach the definition of Thainess through my exhibition, while the word 'domesticated' represents the effect of 'Thainess' has on the mind. I also want to portray how some Thais are willing to be domesticated by the concept of Thainess.
Thailand means the 'land of the free' so why do you think we're being domesticated?
I did not believe the Thai media was restricted as long as they were not questioning off-limits subjects. In the past, most Thai artists have not talked much about this kind of sensitive issues, much like us today. I think maybe we have had many wake-ups calls, like when a Thai-made film Shakespeare Must Die was banned by the Ministry of Culture for its politically-charged content.
Can you give us an example of how authoritarians in Thai society bring up the word 'Thainess' as a tool to control thoughts?
'Domesticated' points out the adverse power of Thai soft power. Take one of my works, Mae Ploy, as an example. I want to show that Thai society is not only manipulated by dictatorship, Thai elites are the ones behind the curtain, using soft power as a tool to pull strings. The artwork shows how Thai women were indoctrinated with the concept of an ideal woman who must always be pliable to men. On second thought, those women are so oppressed that they are not even aware of it.
Why did you use elements from likay as a focal point for 'Domesticated'?
Likay is always implied in Thai politics. Those characters depicted in my artworks represent the power of each role of authoritarianism in Thai politics and society, and I want my fans to absorb it in new, artistic ways.
For Inviting Trouble , why did you use a portrait of a foreigner to represent Thainess?
It is related to the Thai political idiom: 'chuck suek kao baan' or inviting an enemy to our home. It shows how dictators mess up the universe's principles with their unethical actions while accusing foreigners of ruthless villains who sabotage people's thoughts.
Are you based outside Thailand? If so, did you choose to get out to avoid being domesticated?
When I was in Thailand a lot of things were censored. It was not as convenient as it should be to speak the truth about this country.
Do you think the 'official' definition of Thainess is too rigid?
I do not think there is an official meaning for Thainess. Like I said earlier, the definition of Thainess is nothing fixed and yet should not be defined by one definition to unjustly uphold a certain group of people.
"Domesticated" by Kittaya Poolsawatdi is on show on the second floor of Joyman Gallery until Nov 14.
