It's in the wee hours of the morning, while listening to the likes of Mozart, Vivaldi and Handel on his record player, that Thai National Artist Sumet Jumsai produces some of his best work.
His latest exhibition, aptly titled "4am: Sumet Jumsai", is a collection resulting from several such early-morning sessions.
Here, Sumet takes a break from his customary oil paintings to work with oil pastels and markers. He hopes the exhibition will be appreciated for its playful colours and eye-catching images.
Sumet is one of Thailand's best-known architects as well as being a National Artist. "4am: Sumet Jumsai" shows just why his art is as alluring as his architectural designs, the most iconic of which include the Robot Building and the Nation Towers, to name just a few. Globally, his art has been exhibited in Paris and Beijing, and his work is currently being featured at the Bangkok Art Biennale. He is also the author of Naga, a book exploring the origins of civilisations in the Asian Pacific region.
Sumet remarked that his passion for painting and architecture are both integral parts of his life because they address two different sides of him. While teamwork is part and parcel of being an architect, during his alone time, the artist in him comes to life. Both complement his personality. He feels most in his element at his studio in Sri Racha, close to sea and nature.
Sharing his thoughts on "4am: Sumet Jumsai", he said: "The title basically sums up the time I wake up to do my art. These exhibits are the replication of my inner self. They are from my subconsciousness; they are immediate and automatic. It is as if I am released from my physical body and float away to be reincarnated."
His work is a celebration of living for the moment, reflecting a daring and free character who is released from the restrictions of form, style and colour. He has managed to create something unexpected.
To fully appreciate his work, he suggests coming with an open mind.
"To feel my art up close, you have to let yourself go," he said. "Release whatever is bothering you and simply float along with the exhibits."
The title of each image helps give the viewer a better grasp of the message behind the forms and colours.
On his choice of colours and the emotions that went into creating these exhibits, Sumet remarked: "Be it graphics, watercolours, felt pens, acrylics, oil pastels or even normal markers, the intention behind my choice of colours is to invoke emotions at the stillness of dawn."
The versatile artist always makes certain that the end result is a feast for the eyes. His colours of choice are more often than not yellow, black and white, red, blue and green; however, for this exhibition, he adopted a wider scope of schemes and colours, adding greater vibrancy to his work.
"The 4am exhibition is the result of waking every morning when it is still dark," Sumet explained. "The household is at peace; all is quiet and I am alone. The artwork is then unique and differs from my previous exhibitions in that they reflect the solitude.
"The drawings are also more playful, and done on A4-size paper, which I customarily don't use. I paint on big canvas in my seaside studio."
The "4am: Sumet Jumsai" paintings were primarily made in Bangkok.
"I had my music blaring as I looked forward to the beautiful Bangkok sunrise. It was enough to get my creative juices flowing."
"4am: Sumet Jumsai" will be on display at Cassia Gallery, 20 Sukhumvit 31, until Nov 3.
