Thai contemporary artist Prakit Kobkijwattana's works through the years have spoken volumes about the root causes of injustice found within society.
His latest exhibition, "Whose Homeland? 2021", addresses government propaganda among other pressing issues.
Housed at VS Gallery from today until Feb 5, Prakit's artwork encourages audiences to go against the tide if that is what is needed to create awareness for change that leads to a better tomorrow.
Ever since the Ratchaprasong intersection incident in 2010, the 57-year-old has radically changed his point of view toward art and society and decided to use his God-given talent as a tool to fight against propaganda from the government, anti-democracy parties, and mega-corporations.
In "Whose Homeland? 2021" he continues to raise awareness about the contradictions found in propaganda fed to society that discourages among other basic rights freedom of speech. He also questions the code of beliefs taught through the generations of what it means to be an ideal Thai.
Prakit's gung ho social and political views have made him one of the leading political pop artists with a unique sense of satire that encourages the audience to question the direction our ruling powers are taking.
This time, his artwork gets to the heart of the matter or the often forgotten grassroots level communities. He opts to use in his art pieces a retro mode of painting to build on the nostalgic feeling one got for the rural Thai countryside many moons ago while putting a political twist on it.
He attempts to showcase how the ruling powers have blinded a segment of the population into believing that all is well on the surface while at the core the poor are getting poorer while the rich's appetite for wealth sees no end. Obviously, keeping people naive about core issues that impact their lives only benefits an elite few.
To get his message across, Prakit simulates the viewers' senses by using advertising billboards, curving the wooden boards into shapes of military vehicles, which feature paintings of yesteryear's rural ambience for good measure. He also adds information in his paintings to direct the viewer to the message he hopes to convey.
Prakit's pool of work should be viewed with an open mind, after which viewers can decide for themselves what their take is on the message being introduced to them.
For more information, call 089-013-9966 or visit facebook.com/VSGalleryBangkok.
