A Group Exhibition by Imhathai Suwatthanasilp, Jiratchaya Pripwai and Yim Yen Sum
This publication is published in conjunction with
Artists
Transience and Transformation, a group exhibition
Imhathai Suwatthanasilp
by Imhathai Suwatthanasilp, Jiratchaya Pripwai
Jiratchaya Pripwai
and Yim Yen Sum, curated by Lienne Loy.
Yim Yen Sum
Held at A+ WORKS of ART, Kuala Lumpur from 6th to 28th September 2019.
Curator Lienne Loy Project Management Nikki Ong Jelly Copy Editor Lee Weng Choy Design Kenta.Works Photography Damien Khoo Krisada Suvichakornpong KuwaKenta
A Group Exhibition by Imhathai Suwatthanasilp, Jiratchaya Pripwai and Yim Yen Sum Curated by Lienne Loy 6—28 September 2019
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Find Rest
Lienne Loy
Transience—a state of ephemerality, an experience that exists only for a fleeting moment—is a phenomenon that has never been more pronounced than in our present day of technological saturation. Flittering widgets of information aim to feed our continually withering attention-spans. It seems we are always helplessly interrupted by the next smartphone notification. The paradox is that we make a fetish of time as we waste so much of it, trying to make the most efficient, most valuable decision possible in an instant. The exhibition, Transience and Transformation, alludes to that juncture of reflection that lingers and stretches out our sense of time, offering us a brief respite from the frenzy of our time. The artworks on show at the gallery exemplify the slow process of change and capture the effects of passing time on our society, embedded in the forms of materials and processes. Muted in their palettes and subtle in their details, the works channel minimalism and are evocative through their quiet sensibilities; they emphasise the emotions inherent in constant change and contain within them a tension that becomes obvious upon closer inspection of their materiality. Imhathai Suwatthanasilp’s works refer to nature, taking on amorphous forms which are reflected in the lines that swoop across and loop on their surfaces. The lines themselves add depth and life to their overall shapes. Much of her practice has an emphasis on materials, which is evident throughout the progression of abstraction in the series of works on display. One of the more unconventional materials that Imhathai uses is hair: we often associate it with our sense of identity and it is one of the major physical attributes that define a person’s appearance. In this case though, hair is used as a representation of the passing of time, revealing the stories of the lives of the ones that it was once attached to. The long hairs that are matted on her drawings bring to mind women within Thai society, whose positions are oftentimes determined by sociopolitical factors such as the underrepresentation of women and their concerns in the workplace, and the relegation of women to the role of homemaker. In addition to her drawings, Imhathai’s use of hair appears again in the sculptural objects she has created. In her practice she transforms strands of fallen hair into meticulously crocheted nets, which stretch around to consume dried flowers. The objects resemble offerings that, like the flowers her mother used to collect as offerings to Buddhist altars, represent the daily rituals that bind faith and love, and act as moments of introspection, and bids 2
for happiness. Her works also often comments subtly on issues of women and their perceived roles in society, of which her employment of crochet exemplifies. A practice that evokes domesticity, the artist has subverted that presumption in the ways she has taken ownership of it. Jiratchaya Pripwai’s works resonate with a theme of catharsis; her series of drawings highlight the practice as a means for therapy, with every line drawn in a continuous action across the paper. Long and ceaseless in their strokes, the marks resemble fabric-like textures with wrinkles and folds that distort the paper’s two-dimensional surface into one that protrudes outward. By controlling the line quality and density, Jiratchaya sets her graphic textures in motion, like sheets billowing in a breeze. The imagery itself is captivating. Every stroke, line and application of paint is intuitively done with a sensitivity to her own present emotional state, resulting in her pieces becoming recordings her subconscious. Each piece consists of extensive meditation, one that she spends hours immersing herself in to create the abstract monochromatic imagery. Yim Yen Sum’s work sews together the past and present, in an attempt to record recollections of her memories as a child growing up in Malaysia’s fast-changing urban environment. Yen Sum uses a layering of different methods to further the appearance of abstraction in her works. This reflecting the nature of memory itself, and the way in which different memories layer each other to eventually inform the way we experience and react to the world. By layering embroidery and appliqué upon silk-screen prints and manipulating fabrics, like gauze, the results are an accumulation of sculptural works that often times get assembled together into larger-scaled installations. Drawing inspiration from her surroundings, Yen Sum captures aspects of dilapidating buildings around Kuala Lumpur, in an attempt to document their neglect and decay throughout the years, in contrast to the new and ongoing developments spreading throughout the city. Her works address the conflict between the ideals of tradition and innovation, as well as comment on the struggle to find a balance between the two. The acclaimed artist Agnes Martin, known for her minimalist works which explore the aesthetic encounter and its relationship to enlightenment, published a collection of her thoughts in 1972, The Untroubled Mind. As a number of Martin’s ideas resonate with certain themes in Transience and Transformation, it might be useful to detour through Martin as a way of attaining another perspective on the exhibition. Martin writes about how adults are often “so startled by inspiration”, as if it were a rare experience, 3
but she argues that it “is there all the time”; the wonder that we attribute to children is not something lost or irretrievable for grown-ups. In Yen Sum’s work, in spite of the melancholic tone, there is also this call to reconnect with our sense of child-like curiosity. For Martin, the act of reducing down the visual elements in her works to suggestions and allusions created a space for contemplation, a process that Martin refers to as “rest” in her writing. She writes about how a painting can help one find a place of rest—a temporary state of relief from the chaos of modern life. Martin noted that “People get what they need from a painting”, further emphasising the power of giving inherent to art. This sense of pause can be found throughout Jiratchaya’s works: the way in which her lines seem to undulate outward of their constraints to allow the observer space to contemplate each line more carefully, to follow each one as they coincide and crossover the other, repeating endlessly. And in Imhathai’s work, where the act of collecting hair, in turn identities and histories, reflects on the meditative aspect of re-membering knowledge. Transience, a state of perpetual shifting, and Transformation, the process of change from one thing to another, are two delicate moments of unease that have the potential to lead to an awakening of peace and purpose in life. As Martin wrote: “Of course we know that an untroubled state of mind cannot last so we say that inspiration comes and goes but really it is there all the time waiting for us to be untroubled again.”
LIENNE LOY is a curator currently facilitating exhibitions held at A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. She assists in the curation of exhibitions that brings in artists from within the region of Southeast Asia, further bridging together artists of a wide scope of exposures and points in careers from emerging to mid-career, curators, writers and speakers. Along with piecing together shows and writing, she oversees the development and amalgamation of the gallery’s publications, which are printed alongside every exhibition held at the space. This is done with the aim to develop historical and cultural context of the works and artists that pass through. Lienne graduated from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, with a Bachelors of Fine Arts degree and a focus in curatorial studies and exhibition design. She has had experience working in art institutions and galleries within the USA, all of which have influenced her perspective of assembling wholly intentional exhibitions that impart lasting value onto their audience, which encourage intellectual and progressive discourse. Lienne is continuously developing her personal writing practice and is working to progress with future exhibitions that highlight the potential of young and emerging artists within Southeast Asia.
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Black Landscape No.1 2018 Mixed technique drawing on linen (acrylic, human hair) 70 × 90 cm
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Black Landscape No.2 2018 Mixed technique drawing on linen (acrylic, human hair) 100 × 90 cm
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Black Landscape in a Flower No.1 2018 Mixed technique drawing on linen (acrylic, human hair) 70 × 90 cm
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Black Landscape in a Flower No.2 2018 Mixed technique drawing on linen (acrylic, human hair) 70 × 90 cm
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp, Black Landscape in a Flower No.1 (detail), 2018
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp, Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.2 (detail of the sculpture), 2019
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.1 2019 Mixed technique drawing on paper (acrylic, graphite) Drawing: 37.6 × 55.8 cm, sculpture: variable dimension
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.2 2019 Mixed technique drawing on paper (acrylic, graphite) Drawing: 37.6 × 55.8 cm, sculpture: variable dimension
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.3 2019 Mixed technique drawing on paper (acrylic, graphite) Drawing: 37.6 × 55.8 cm, sculpture: variable dimension
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.4 2019 Mixed technique drawing on paper (acrylic, graphite) Drawing: 37.6 × 55.8 cm, sculpture: variable dimension
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.5 2019 Mixed technique drawing on paper (acrylic, graphite) Drawing: 37.6 × 55.8 cm, sculpture: variable dimension
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Jiratchaya Pripwai, Breathing Rhythm no.6 (detail), 2018, ink on paper, 120 × 80 cm
Jiratchaya Pripwai, Breathing Rhythm no.2 (detail), 2017, ink on paper, 76 × 56 cm
Jiratchaya Pripwai Breathing Rhythm no.1 2017 Ink on paper 76 × 56 cm
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Jiratchaya Pripwai Breathing Rhythm no.2 2017 Ink on paper 76 × 56 cm
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Jiratchaya Pripwai Breathing Rhythm no.3 2017 Ink on paper 76 × 56 cm
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Jiratchaya Pripwai
Breathing Rhythm no.5 2017 Ink on paper 76 × 56 cm
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Jiratchaya Pripwai Breathing Rhythm no.4 2017 Ink on paper 56 × 76 cm Breathing Rhythm no.6 R I G H T 2018 Ink on paper 120 × 80 cm
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Yim Yen Sum When the light is off (I–V). I used to be here. 2019 Gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
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Yim Yen Sum, When the light is off (II). I used to be here. (detail), 2019, 337 Ă— 46 cm, gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
Yim Yen Sum When the light is off (I). I used to be here. (detail) 2019 Gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box 50 Ă— 46 cm
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Yim Yen Sum, When the light is off (I). I used to be here., 2019, 50 Ă— 46 cm, gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
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Yim Yen Sum, When the light is off (II). I used to be here., 2019, 96 Ă— 46 cm, gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
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Yim Yen Sum, When the light is off (III). I used to be here., 2019, 138 × 46 cm, gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
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Yim Yen Sum, When the light is off (IV). I used to be here., 2019, 200 Ă— 46 cm, gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
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Yim Yen Sum, When the light is off (V). I used to be here., 2019, 337 Ă— 46 cm, gauze dyed in acrylic, embroidery on gauze framed in an acrylic light box
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Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (b. 1981, Chaiyaphum province, Thailand) developed her artistic practice at Silpakorn University’s Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts department, from where she received both her Bachelors and Masters degrees. As a result of her wide exposure to materials, Imhathai uses a myriad of techniques, including photography, drawing, paintings, performance and installation. Her recent works have explored personal anecdotes of gender politics within her country and her familial relationships that have significantly informed the context of her works; from her father’s critiques on issues within their society, to her mother’s daily routines of collecting and offering to their Buddhist altars. Her interests stem in the complexity of one’s morals, beliefs and norms within Thai society, all of which add to and inform one’s personality and character. Imhathai has exhibited internationally and more notably took part in Trans Synthesis, an exhibition at the Songkhla Pavilion in the 58th Venice Biennale, 2019. She has had solo exhibitions within Thailand (Adel Gallery of Modern Art, 2010; Bangkok Art and Cultural Center, 2012; Numthong Gallery, 2014 and 2017) as well as participated in group exhibitions around the region including, Singapore (Singapore Art Museum, 2012), Philippines (Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, 2011), Korea (Coreana Museum of Art, 2011), Japan (Nichido Contemporary Art, 2010), Malaysia (A+ Works of Art, 2019; Valentine Willie Fine Arts, 2008) and France (The École nationale supérieure des Beaux-Arts, 2007). Imhathai has also participated in several biennales including Bangkok Art Biennale 2019, Jakarta Biennale 2017, Busan Biennale 2010 and International Incheon Women Artists Biennale 2009 and has works housed in significant collections, including that of the Singapore Art Museum, The Art of The City of Gothenburg and MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum.
EDUCATION 2009 • Certificate in Marble Carving, Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Italy 2008 • Scholarship (Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Italy offer by the Italian Goverment) 2006 • M.F.A. Thai Arts, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand • Certificate for Exchange Programme, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux - Arts, Paris, France • Scholarship (Ecole Nationale Superieure Des Beaux Arts (ENSBA) Paris, France) 2004 • B.F.A. Sculpture, Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2017 • Ruen Sam Nam See (7 Elements), Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Cell-Scape, Drawing Project at ApArt art space, Bangkok, Thailand 2014 • Rebirth”, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Hair for Hope, Bangkok Art and Culture Center (BACC), Bangkok, Thailand • Hair for Hope: The New Beginning, Ardel Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2011 • Diary of a Weaving Story, GMT+7 art & design Gallery, Brussels, Belgium 2010 • Diary of a Weaving Story, Ardel Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2008 • DNA, Valentine Willie Fine Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2007 • Memory: My Hair, ENSBA, Paris, France • DNA, Whitespace Gallery, Siam Square, BKK., Thailand
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019 • Transience and Transformation, A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2017 • Homo Faber II, Kulturhuset Blå Stället, part of GIBCA 2017 (The Gothenburg International Biennale of Contemporary Art), Gothenburg, Sweden • All is One: Art Beyond Ignorance, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC) BKK, Thailand • Mon Art du Style, MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, Chaingmai, Thailand 2016 • Celebrating Murni, Sudakara Art Space, Bali, Indonesia 2015 • undisclosed territory #9, an international performance event in Karanganyar, Solo city, Indonesia • Homo Faber, A Contemporary Art Exhibition by Swedish and Thai artists, The Art Center, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand • Rates of Exchange, Un-Compared SA SA BASSAC, Phnom-Penh • 71 Years Anniversary Kamol Tassananchalee & Friends, Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center, Bangkok, Thailand • My Sisters and Other Ghosts, The Cross Art Project, Sydney, Australia (Curator: Jasmin Stephens) • Beyond Our Friendship, Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University, Thailand
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2014 • Rates of Exchange, Un-Compared, H Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Time, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2013 • On Paper 2013, (Paper & Nature), Silpakorn University Tama Art University Project, Japan • Eternity, Numthong Gallery at Aree, Bangkok, Thailand • Metro-Sapiens: Dialogue in the Cave, Chomphon Cave, Ratburi, Thailand (Curator: Sakrin Krue-On) • Sex, Toot Yung Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Hosanna to Our King, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), Bangkok, Thailand. •O n Paper, Sanamchandra Art Gallery, Silpakorn University, Nakhorn Pathom, Thailand •N ew Art from Southeast Asia, Tally Beck Contemporary, New York, USA • in-Femininity, Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok, Thailand • Art on Farm at Baan Jim, The Jim Thompson Art Center, Bangkok, Thailand • Intimately, H Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Herstory, Thai Bank Museum, The Siam Commercial Bank, Bangkok, Thailand • THAI TRANSIENCE, Traveling Exhibition of Thai Heritage and Contemporary Art, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore • 36 Year Anniversary Thai Art Department: Thai Art Exhibition, The Queen’s gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2011 • Fabrications, The Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD), Manila, Philippines • Dialogues, (A tentative assessment of today’s Arts and Design relations to traditional culture), Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), Bangkok, Thailand • THAI TRANSIENCE, Exhibition of Thai Heritage and Contemporary Art, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), Bangkok, Thailand • Show Me Your Hair, Coreana Museum of Art, Space*C Seoul. Korea • BKK art house, Bangkok Art andCulture Centre (BACC), Bangkok, Thailand • Art on Farm, Jim Thompson Farm, Nakornratchasima, Thailand • Wonderful Thai Friendship, WTF Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Identity, body it, NCA (Nichido Contemporary Art) Tokyo, Japan. • I Giovani Isan, Fondazione Lanfranco Baldi, Pelago, Tuscany, Italy 2009 • International Incheon Women Artists Biennale 2009, Incheon, Korea • Young Female Artists of the Year 2009, by Baan Lae Suan, Bangkok, Thailand 2008 • One Year Anniversary, Whitespace Gallery, Siam Square 3, Bangkok, Thailand 2007 • Lightness-Darkness,, Teo+Namfah Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2006 • Sepia, Si – Am Art Space Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Contemporary Thai Art Exhibition by Master degree (Thai Art), Silpakorn University 2005 • The Old Days, Atrium, RCA Tower, All seasons Place, Bangkok, Thailand
2005 • The 51st National Exhibition of Art,Mixed Media Section, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand 2003 • Grand Painting Project Exhibition arranged by student of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts • Faculty, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand 2001 • Nokia Art Award – Asia Pacific Exhibition, Bangkok, Thailand
BIENNALES, TRIENNIALS AND OTHER PARTICIPATIONS 2017 • The Gothenburg International Biennale of Contemporary Art 2010 • Busan Biennale, Busan
TEACHING AND LECTURING 2011–2017 • Instructor, Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand 2010–2011 • Special instructor, Department of Digital Arts, Faculty of Digital Media, Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand 2011 • Instructor, Department of Digital Arts, Faculty of Digital Media, Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand 2010 • Guest lecturer, Faculty of Fine Arts, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand 2007–2009 • Special instructor, The Faculty of Architecture, Majoring Digital Arts, Sripatum University, Bangkok, Thailand
AWARDS 2016 • Shortlisted as one of the top 30 finalists in “The 2016 Sovere Asian Art Prize”, Hong Kong 2013 • “13 Thai Contemporary Artists Award”(Create Artworks with National Artist 2013), The Department of Culture Promotion, Ministry of Culture 2005 • Silpa Bhirasri Silver Medal Award, the 22 Exhibition of Contemporary Arts by Young Artists 2004 • Young Thai Artist Award, Sculpture
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS Singapore Art Museum
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Jiratchaya Pripwai (b. 1983, Chiang Mai, Thailand) graduated with a Bachelors in Fine Art from Chiang Mai University and a Masters from Silpakorn University. Jiratchaya’s drawings are symbolic of personal diaries of her life, reflecting her emotions involved in past, some tumultuous, romantic relationships. The act of drawing is a means of catharsis for her, and the narratives behind them revolve around personal life and experiences. In the past 9 years, Jiratchaya has had solo exhibitions in Thailand (D-Bistro Gallery, 2018; Numthong, 2017, 2015 and 2011) and France (Galerie Odile Ouizeman, 2015). She has participated in group shows in Malaysia (A+ Works of Art, 2019), Taiwan (Sun-Wood Warehouse, 2019), Thailand (Baan Tuek, 2019; Ver Gallery, 2018; Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, 2015; The Jam Factory, 2015; Numthong Gallery, 2014; Royal Thai Consulate-General, 2014) and France (Bourgogne Tribal Show, 2018; Galerie Odile Ouizeman, 2015). Jiratchaya has been the recipient of the Third Honorary Prize, Bronze Medal of Painting of the 56th National Exhibition of Art (Thailand) and the first prize for the 10th Panasonic Contemporary Painting Exhibition (Thailand). She has been involved in the Bangkok Triennial International Print and Drawing Exhibition (2009) as well as had a residency in Centre Intermondes (La Rochelle, France).
GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019 • Transience and Transformation, A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2016 • Unusualness Makes Sense, Thai - Japanese Exhibition, Chiang Mai, Thailand 2015 • Géodésie, l’impossible tracé, Galerie Odile Ouizeman, Paris, France • Drift #2, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Bangkok, Thailand • A Part of You, A Part of Me # 2, The Jam Factory, Bangkok, Thailand 2014 • Mixology, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • 10 Thai 2014 Art Exhibition, Royal Thai Consulate-General, LA, USA 2013 • Triangle Circular, SeeScape Gallery, Chiang Mai, Thailand • Eternity, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2012 • Supplementary Food III Fusion Ingredient, Baan Tuek Art Center, Chiang Mai • P OM: Politics of ME, Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, Bangkok, Thailand • MEETING by Vermillion Group, Jamjuree Art Gallery, Bangkok 2011 • ID-SaTEE by 8 young female artists, Teeoli Art Space, Bangkok 2009 • Esthetic of body, Silom Galleria,Bangkok • The way to art, Graduate exhibition, Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Art Silpakorn University, BCC, Bangkok • The 2 Bangkok Triennial International Print and Drawing Exhibition, BCC, Bangkok 2008 • Nostalgia by Vermillion group, Chiang Mai, Thailand 2007 • Marking On Space, Ji Qoo Art Space, Chiang Mai, Thailand • Conceal by La Femme group, Chiang Mai, Thailand 2006 • Such is Life by Beauty Suit group, Chiang Mai, Thailand • 52 National exhibition, Chiang Mai, Thailand 2005 • Flower in our mind by La Femme group, Chiang Mai, Thailand
AWARDS 2010 • Third Honorary Prize, Bronze Medal of Painting of the 56 National Exhibition of Art. 2009 • Scholarship of General Tinsulanonda Statesman 2008 • First Prize: 10 Panasonic Contemporary Painting Exhibition • Supporting Prize by Krung Thai Bank: 54 National Exhibition of Art • Distinguished Prize: 20 Toshiba “Bring Good Thing To Life” Art competition
EDUCATION 2011 • M.F.A (Painting) Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Art, Silpakorn University, Thailand 2006 • B.F.A (Painting) Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University, Thailand
RESIDENCIES 2015 • Centre Intermondes, La Rochelle, France 2014 • Thaillywood Artist Residency, Chonburi, Thailand
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2017 • When Time Always Carries Its Duty Faithfully, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Lifelines, PT Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand 2015 • Eternal Forgiveness, Galerie Odile Ouizeman, Paris, France 2011 • Conversation of Breath, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand • Between the Lines, Numthong Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
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Yim Yen Sum (b. 1987, Malaysia) received a diploma in Fine Art from Dasein Academy of Art (2008), where she began her practice of stitching together her work. She predominantly works with textiles when creating her ever-evolving installations and explores the concepts of relationships and interconnectivity, between us as a society, our practices and interactions with our environment. Her work often invites the audience to consider their own connections with those within their vicinity, and through viewing and interacting with her pieces, aims to build new relationships. Yim’s works reflect hours of incredibly delicate needlework, worked through units of gauze that has undergone a process of manipulation, including screen printing and appliqué. She repeats the process accumulating units, like building blocks, and stitching them together until satisfied with the end result, a finality that Yim is often hesitant to declare she’s reached, as each piece she creates has the ultimate ability to evolve and change with time and space. Yim has participated in exhibitions locally (A+ Works of Art, 2019; Wei Ling Contemporary, 2018; National Art Gallery, 2017) and internationally (Singapore, 2018; Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan, 2017; The Pier-2 Art Center, Taiwan, 2016). Yim is the recipient of Uunited Overseas Bank (UOB)’s Painting of The Year Award, 2016.
EDUCATION 2008 • Diploma in Fine Arts, Dasein Academy of Art, Malaysia
SOLO EXHIBITIONS 2018 • The further you stand, the clearer you see, Wei-ling Contemporary Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2017 • Trace of the city (Hakata) - The people I met, Fukuoka Asian Art Museum, Japan 2016 • Way of Seeing, The Pier-2 Art Center, GaoXiong, Taiwan
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS 2019 • Transience and Transformation, A+ Works of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Victress Niche, G13 Gallery, Malaysia 2018 • Immaterial-A compilation of the unconventionals, G13 Gallery, Malaysia • The Young Contempo Showcase II, Gallery Prima, Malaysia 2017 • Through Rose-Tinted Glasses, Wei-Ling Contemporary, Malaysia • Di Mana(where are) young, National Art Gallery, Malaysia • Floating Island - Contemporary Female Trio Exhibition, Jing Lv Art, Taipei, Taiwan • Young Gun Award Exhibition by HOM Art Trans, White Box, Publika, Kuala Lumpur 2016 • ♀,HOM Art Trans, Ampang, Malaysia • Approaching the Age - Art Beat, In Live Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan 2015 • 2015 Meeting the Partner, Seoul Jeongleung, Jeongleung Market Agency Gallery, Korea • Chungnam Residence Cooperation Project, Chungnam Dangjin, Ami Art Museum, Korea • New Art Wave Expo, Costi Expo Venetian, Macau • Bangladesh, India, Nepal&Malaysia Fusion Visual Arts 2015, Mutiara Gallery, Penang, Malaysia • Contemporary Propulsion- Influence and Evolution, G13 Gallery, Malaysia • Extreme Portrail part II, Chandan Gallery, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2014 • CATALYSIS: Contemporary Art by Dasein Graduates, HOM Art Trans, Ampang, Malaysia • Charity, Art and Design against Cancer organized by National Cancer Society Malaysia (NCSM) 2013 • Malaysia Young Contemporary Competition- Finalist Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 2012 • Precious Little Pieces, Weiling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • The Relationship of Circle, Dasein Academy of Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • A Decade of Collecting-Bright Young Things, Weiling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • “ The Malaysian Rice Plates Project”, MCAT 2011 2011 • 18@8 Save the Planet, Wei-Ling Contemporary, The Gardens Mall, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
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AWARDS 2017 • Young Gun Award by HOM Art Trans 2016 • United Overseas Bank(UOB) Painting of the Year Award 2015 • Finalist in Macau New Art Wave International Art Competition 2014 • Jury Award in Malaysia Young Contemporary Art Competition 2009 • Mix Media First Prize in Tanjung Heritage Art Competition 2008 • Mix Media Consolation Prize in Tanjung Heritage Art Competition • Print Making Consolation Prize in Tanjung Heritage Art Competition
2010 • GR8- The Next Generation, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • The Young Contemporary 2010, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Young Malaysian Artist - New Objec(tion), Petronas Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia • Absolut 18@8, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
BIENNIALS, TRIENNIALS AND ART FAIRS 2018 • UOB Art Space, Art Stage Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo & Convention Centre 2017 • UOB Art Space, Art Stage Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, Sands Expo & Convention Centre • Alami Belas Be Loved, KL Biennale, National Art Gallery, Malaysia 2016 • Art Expo Malaysia, MATRADE Exhibition and Convention Centre, Malaysia • Approaching the Age - Art Beat, In Live Art Space, Taipei, Taiwan 2015 • 2015 Meeting the Partner, Seoul Jeongleung, Jeongleung Market Agency Gallery, Korea • Chungnam Residence Cooperation Project, Chungnam Dangjin, Ami Art Museum, Korea • New Art Wave Expo, Costi Expo Venetian, Macau • Bangladesh, India, Nepal&Malaysia Fusion Visual Arts 2015, Mutiara Gallery, Penang, Malaysia • Contemporary Propulsion- Influence and Evolution, G13 Gallery, Malaysia • Extreme Portrail part II, Chandan Gallery, Publika, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
PUBLIC PROJECTS AND WORKSHOPS 2016 • PublikArt, Iskandar Putri, Johor DahrulTa’zim, Malaysia 2011 • Multiplicity, Wei-Ling Gallery, Kuala Lumpur,Malaysia 2010 • Pudu Art Festival - Bangun Project, Lost Generation, Pudu, Malaysia
RESIDENCIES 2015 • Fukuoka Asian Art Museum Residency program, Japan 2015 • Pier-2 Art Center Artist Residence Program, Taiwan • Eco Art incubating International Artist Residency, Korea 2014 • Sasaran International Residency, Malaysia
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Acknowledgements A+ WORKS of ART would like to thank: Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Jiratchaya Pripwai Yim Yen Sum Numthong Gallery
A+ WORKS of ART d6 - G - 8 d6 Trade Centre 801 Jalan Sentul 51000 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia A+ WORKS of ART is a contemporary art gallery based in Kuala Lumpur, with a geographic focus on Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Founded in 2017 by Joshua Lim, the gallery presents a wide range of contemporary practices, from painting to performance, drawing, sculpture, new media art, photography, video and installation. Its exhibitions have showcased diverse themes and approaches, including material experimentation and global conversations on social issues. Collaboration is key to the ethos of A+ WORKS of ART. Since its opening, the gallery has worked with artists, curators, writers, collectors, galleries and partners from within the region and beyond, and continues to look out for new collaborations. The gallery name is a play on striving for distinction but also on the idea that art is never without context and is always reaching to connect — it is always “plus” something else.
+60 18 333 3399 info@aplusart.asia Facebook/Instagram @aplusart.asia Opening Hours 12 pm – 7 pm, Tuesday to Saturday Closed on Sunday, Monday and public holidays
Copyright © A+ WORKS of ART 2019. All rights reserved. All articles and illustrations contained in this catalogue are subject to copyright law. Any use beyond the narrow limites defineded by copyright law, and without the express of the publisher, is forbidden and will be prosecuted.
FRONT COVER
BACK COVER
Imhathai Suwatthanasilp Flower in My Mother’s Garden No.1 (detail), 2019 Mixed technique drawing on paper (acrylic, graphite) 37.6 × 55.8 cm
Jiratchaya Pripwai Breathing Rhythm no.6 (detail), 2019 Ink on paper, 120 × 80 cm