Pelagan S, an illustrator, graphic and visual artist, was interested in the rawness of symbols and characters that appear on tattooed talismans. Although attracted to the original patterns, he wanted to create his own versions, so he extracted and redesigned the forms to be more modern and made paintings of them. He later presented the paintings to SAC Gallery's curators -- Patticha Thitithammaporn and Nutdanai Songsriwilai -- for exhibition. The curators, inspired by his work, developed the exhibition "Mu Te Lu: Ilmu Teluh" which features works of four artists -- Pelagan S, Eiair, Jun Sekino and Noon Passama.
In their research, the curators learned that the Thai term mu te lu, or superstition, came from an Indonesian movie titled Penangkal Limu Teluh, or Antidote For Witchcraft in English. Although that Indonesian movie refers to black magic, mu te lu for Thai people refers to a lucky charm.
"We named the exhibition 'Mu Te Lu: Ilmu Teluh' because we wanted to remind people of the original word, which means black magic. We also hope visitors will ask about the meaning of 'Mu Te Lu: Ilmu Teluh'," said Nutdanai.
Patticha explained that they created the exhibition because they were interested in social phenomena.
"The exhibition aims to raise questions about beliefs in society and how they have changed over time. Mu te lu beliefs reflect the wants and needs of society and individuals. In the past, sacred objects such as beads and accessories were used in religious ceremonies. In the present, these objects are considered as lucky charms and have become more stylish, so people feel comfortable displaying them or wearing them," said Patticha.
Pelagan S created the collection "Schema Magica" based on many kinds of talismans. One of the paintings, Mercy (01): Talisman Mahaud, was inspired by a talisman called mahaud which people believe can protect them from danger and trouble.
"Pelagan S wanted to get a tattoo, but he wanted a more modern talisman pattern. He felt that the traditional talisman designs did not suit him," said Patticha. "So he extracted its pattern to be more modern. To make mahaud effective, people believe that they have to get the mahaud tattoo on both the front and back of their bodies. Thus paintings inspired by the mahaud feature two different patterns and colours on each painting," she said.
"Another painting, Wealth (03): Yuntra Parya Tao (Turtle), was inspired by the turtle talisman. People believe that this talisman can bring luck and wealth. This design looks like the outline of a turtle's back with an infinity symbol," Nutdanai added.
The second artist, Noon Passama, is a non-religious jewellery designer who lives in the Netherlands. When she was looking for an aspect from which to create art pieces, she discovered that both religious and non-religious people have what they believe to be their own lucky numbers.
"Noon created bracelets in abstract forms to represent the numbers zero to nine. The bracelets were made from a mixture of epoxy and synthetic clay. When the designer stops working with the materials, they will harden, so she had to keep shaping them before they hardened. This required a high level of concentration. Every piece, every crease and every joint must be equal in size, which required a lot of effort. The diameter of the number one bracelet has the same measurement no matter which angle it is measured from," said Nutdanai.
Since sacred objects and lucky charms were created out of people's fear of nature, Eiair, a contemporary ceramic artist, created porcelain figures inspired by five insects -- ants, spiders, moths, dragonflies and caterpillars. The artist discovered much interesting information when researching insects.
"In the past, people wore tiger fangs to proclaim that they were the hunting leaders. Wearing tiger fangs was like having the spirit of a tiger. One of Eiair's porcelain sculptures, The Storm Snapper resembles a bulldog ant. This kind of ant can bite aggressively and inject venom with its bite, which causes a lot of pain to the victims. If you hurt any of the ants, the rest in the pack will attack you aggressively," said Patticha.
"As a lucky charm, The Storm Snapper protects its owner from danger. Five porcelains were created with elaborate details; using a magnifying glass, visitors can even see the ant's stinger protruding from the back part of its body. The dragonfly and moth have delicate wings which light can shine through."
Jun Sekino is an architect, designer and founder of Junsekino Architect. He is best known for his wooden frame sculpture titled Ni. The designer uses lines and simple geometrical elements as a main part of the pieces. The selected materials, gold and wood, were shaped into rectangular pieces which help form the statue.
"Ni looks more like a meditating person than a Buddha image. That's why it can be placed in any house, not only in Buddhist houses. For this exhibition Jun designed a spirit house titled Shin, because he believes that everyone wants to have a beautiful house, and so do spirits. Shin has a minimalistic design and is easy to assemble like knockdown furniture that people like to buy," said Patticha.
The past year has seen several exhibitions about mu te lu. The curators explained that art is influenced by social phenomena, so it is common to see many exhibitions about this topic. However, they discovered that each exhibition presented a different angle on mu te lu. For example, while one exhibition presented the mu te lu theme through paintings, another exhibition focused on deities that people worship and how people worship them. For SAC Gallery, Patticha said that they were interested in presenting the connection between art and social belief and how applied art can raise questions about mu te lu.
The exhibition "Mu Te Lu: Ilmu Teluh" is presented within the rubric of applied art, which is a type of art created for a specific practical purpose. As a result, the aesthetic value of such work is often questioned. The curators hope visitors will recognise that applied art can attain a high level of aesthetic sophistication.
"Applied art has been around for over a thousand years, but it is not really recognised," observed Nutdanai. "Like with illustration, some question whether it is really art or not. Even some artists who create applied art feel that they are not included in the art world. I hope, at least, viewers will recognise the importance of applied art and the artists who create applied art pieces."
Patticha concluded: "I hope people will discuss mu te lu and talk about their own personal beliefs and lucky charms. Although applied art is excluded from the art world, it does not mean it is not important. Applied art is easy to understand and fun to talk about," she said.
"Mu Te Lu: Ilmu Teluh" is on view at SAC Gallery, Sukhumvit 39, until May 6. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/sacbangkok.
