La Monnaie de Paris
Stand N01, Pavilion NOW ON
sold on the website of ASIA NOW
https://www.asianowparis.com/
At the 9th edition of ASIA NOW Paris, Galerie BAQ features artists Nguyễn Thị Châu-Giang (Vietnam), Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (Thailand) and Richie Nath (Myanmar), in Part II of the exhibition Tropical Hallucinations currently on view at Galerie BAQ rue Beautreillis, Paris.
Tropical Hallucinations is a two-part exhibition presented in two different locations, much like islands in an archipelago – the main geo-culture of South-East Asia – geographically separate but still closely related
Using the cliché of tropical climates, often misused in many texts about the East from the perspective of Western travelers, the exhibition lifts the veil of exoticism to allow viewers to perceive the ongoing reality from the perspective of artists living and working there.
Nguyễn Thị Châu-Giang (Vietnam) continues her Buddhist practice on silk, delicately delivering her daily contemplation of women’s lives in Vietnam onto multiple layers of silk painting. The traditional Vietnamese technique of painting on silk is called silk washing, which means that the paint is washed with water several times to create a transparent effect. Fascinated by the similarities between water as described by Lao Tzu in the Dao de jing , silk and the preconceived ideas about women in many Asian countries. She uses silk painting itself as a meditative ritual, trying to resolve her inner chaos caused by historical disturbances, religious interpretations and personal desires.
Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (Thailand) looks through human hair (literally!) in the series See Through - See True (2017) to observe the reactions of those involved and public opinion surrounding the Southern Thai Insurgency from 2004 to the present. Having worked with human hair for 20 years, she uses this particular material to create the 'glasses'. The lenses are made of a thin film of hair, enough to see through but not clear. In the four light boxes are photographs taken through these 'lenses', bright like billboards, some clear and some blurred, simulating a 'gaze' towards the iconic architectural structures of the Thai, Hokkien and Malay communities involved in the religious conflicts in Patani. The work is accompanied by a series of 25 photographs of people who have worn 'glasses', who have had conversations with the artist and interacted with the work. They all hope for a peaceful society where their faith is not used as a political tool to create hatred and conflict.
Richie Nath mesmerizes with his vibrant and figurative paintings in the new series The Wounded Fawn (2023), unfolding from its genesis rooted in the captivating tales of Hindu mythology. The first self-portrait of his career, Where are you?, depicting the artist himself looking at his mirrored reflection, marks the milestone of his new journey since he moved to Paris as a refugee in 2021 due to the military coup in Myanmar. In Was It All in Vain?, Nath takes inspiration from the Serpent King in Jataka tales. This story is the first of its kind that depicts homosexual love, metaphorically described in the relationship between a naga, or snake-spirit king, and two ascetic brothers. Homoeroticism appears incidentally as obstacles to ascetic attainment.
Parallelly with the display in Asia NOW, Part I of the exhibition is on view at Galerie BAQ, 15 rue Beautreillis, Paris 4ème until 28 October 2023.
Artists in Part I: Imhathai Suwatthanasilp (Thailand), Kamin Lertchaiprasert (Thailand), M.Irfan (Indonesia), Tôn-Thất Minh-Nhật (Vietnam), Paul Kadarisman (Indonesia), Phan Thảo-Nguyên (Vietnam)
