Anuwat Apimukmongkon
b. 1995, Trang, Thailand
Lives and works in Pattani, Thailand
Anuwat Apimukmongkon has a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Prince of Songkla University, Pattani Campus, Thailand. He started exhibiting in 2017, and recent shows include ‘A Silent Voice’ at Tang Contemporary Art, ‘A+ Entree’ at A+ Work of Art and ‘SPECTROSYNTHESIS II – Exposure of Tolerance: LGBTQ in Southeast Asia’ at Bangkok Art & Culture Centre. The artist has taken on other roles, such as project manager for ‘RE/FORM/ING PATANI’, a pavilion under the Bangkok Biennial, and curator for various exhibitions including ‘Checkpoint’ at Patani Artspace and ‘SingNature’ at YELO House.
Anuwat works with a range of media, from performance art to installations, though a prominent motif that occurs throughout his 2D works is his best friend, Bangli. Bangli, as a bisexual, exists outside of societal norms. As such, the use of his friend’s likeness is a symbolic gesture as Anuwat tackles hard topics in Thai society. His ‘Speak Thai’ series encapsulates this well. The manipulated black and white photo prints are striking to look at, as bright pinks and golds colour the series, which render an artificial nature to the photographs. Incidentally, gold represents the Thai royalty.
Another running motif is lyrics from nationalistic anthems and songs scribbled across the canvas, occupying a sizeable chunk of space. The figure of Bangli brings these elements together, highlighting the tension between the constructed nature of nationhood and those who fall outside of it.
Biography information from www.artandmarket.net, April 2022