French couturier Christian Dior gravitated to a circle of artists because of his interest in the fine arts. His eponymous maison has retained close ties with artists through the "Lady Dior As Seen By" exhibition launched in 2011.
Imaginative interpretations of the classic bag are now on display at Iconsiam as the travelling exhibition has landed in Bangkok.
Two Thai artists, Rattana Salee and Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, are on board in presenting their works that evoke a style icon carried by Diana, Princess of Wales.
France's former first lady Bernadette Chirac presented a bag to the British princess when she presided over the opening of the Cézanne Exhibition in Paris, in 1995. The It Bag is recognisable by leather topstitched with a Cannage motif, rounded handles and dangling D.i.o.r. charms.
"I'm impressed with the Cannage motif, which has been conveyed in my sculpture," said Rattana. "It's the same size as the Lady Dior bag, which is quite difficult to realise such a small piece when sculptures are typically huge."
The coveted bag actually has a well-built closed structure whereas her openworked steel sculpture expresses empty space that can be filled by countless creativity.
"This is Dior's first official exhibition in Bangkok, which inspired me to create the sculpture under the 'Modern City, Modern Life' concept,'' Rattana said of another motive for her work titled Elegance.
Bangkok-based Kornkrit Jianpinidnan journeyed to Chanthaburi and Trat to capture images for his "Lady Dior As Seen By" project. The two provinces are historically important to the relationship between Thailand and France from the late 19th to early 20th centuries.
"The locations reflect my personal interest in exploring a juxtaposition of Eastern and Western culture, and how the past continues to influence the present," said the photographer, whose works compare to visual poetry.
He composed Poem 12: Thinking Of D by sequencing 144 images shot in 135 film that together recall Lady Dior's iconic motif.
The well-thought-out artwork is his contemporary and pictorial take on Nirat, a Thai literary genre narrating a journey and parting from a loved one.
"Nirat describes a journey and what is discovered along the way," Kornkrit explained. "It's also like a diary to share thoughts, feelings and memories. Likewise, good memories become visually narrative through chronological photographs."
His participation in the project has him discovering how the relationship between art and fashion is like a parallel line. "It's actually a momentary evidence of history in a specific time. Art and fashion are cultural effects," he said.
Kornkrit's poetic composition and Rattana's openworked piece are showcased along with 29 other photographs and sculptures by internationally-renowned artists at the exhibition, which runs at Iconluxe on the 1st floor of Iconsiam until Jan 20.
