Earlier this year, the first live performance of Thai artist Kawita Vatanajyangkur was unveiled to the audience at Bangkok’s luxury hotel The Peninsula Bangkok. That marked a stepping stone in her artist career, considering that her previous works were mainly video presentations.
“KNIT” was a performance that the artist imagined herself as a knitting stick and weaved the red thread into a pattern similar to a spider web. Kawita said that she would like to present materialism in the modern society and the fashion industry that neglects women workers who work painstakingly behind it. This work was part of the hotel’s initiative to support Bangkok Art Biennale 2018.
A graduate in Fine Arts from Melbourne’s RMIT University, Kawita created her own method to convey her messages by using her body as a tool. Doing some painstaking tasks in a repetitive way, her works challenge not only her physical limitations but also her audience. Despite the vivid colors, some sort of torment was obviously present. Many times her works reflected the issue of woman rights, while repetition would remind you of the monotonous lifestyle in the modern world.
At present, Kawita is an internationally-acknowledged contemporary artist. In 2017, she represented Thailand in the Islands in the Stream exhibition in the 57th Venice Biennale. Her works have been part of international exhibitions in various countries, from Australia to countries in Asia, the US and Europe.
See more works and updates of Kawita at facebook.com/kawitavartist
