Thai Artists | Vasan Sitthiket
Vasan Sitthiket was born in 1957 in Nakhorn Sawan and studied at the College of Fine Art in Bangkok. Some of his paintings are related to nature or to erotic motifs. However, most works address problems within contemporary Thai
and international societies, such as the exploitation of the poor by the rich as well as the corruption among politicians and bureaucrats. He uses several media to express his opinions on these subjects. Paintings, drawings, woodcut prints, installations and performances are some of the media used to put his ideas into practice. In addition to numerous shows in Thailand, Vasan
has participated in frequent shows abroad including the
Venice Biennale (Italy, 2003). He
has also staged three plays and is the author of more than
ten books, including poetry, children’s books and political
writings. As the
curator Steven Pettifor has said:
"In
Vasan’s art the world is largely divided into two polemic
camps, that of heroes and villains. But unlike predictable
Hollywood yarns where the downtrodden and beaten rise
triumphant, for Vasan it is the villains who have the
crushing upper hand." In
the current
exhibition, he explores 'hypocrisy' and its many facets, in
particular with reference to the conflict in the Middle
East. Vasan Sitthiket is an activist
and one of Thailand's most well known artists
internationally. He is often labeled the enfant terrible
of Thai art and a firebrand. It can be difficult to pin him
down since he turns against anyone in power and he loathes
the hypocritical ways of politicians and bureaucrats, as
well as of business leaders and 'capitalists'. He seems to
be an anarchist at heart.
