Standard: Assorted fabrics, machine and hand stitching on canvas, 56 x 61 inches
Temple Fair: Jakkai Siributr, the inaugural show at Tyler Rollins Fine Art, a new West Chelsea gallery dedicated to Southeast Asian contemporary art, showcases thirteen fabric collages by renowned Thai artist Jakkai Siributr.
Siributr, who works exclusively in textiles, is less interested here in pretty wall hangings — although his collages are indeed eye-catching — and is more concerned with critiquing the state of his native Thailand. Specifically, Siributr is frustrated with Thailand’s corrupt political and religious affairs and its decaying traditional culture, during a time in which the Kingdom is struggling to reframe its present-day national identity. “Temple Fair” refers to the seasonal fundraising fairs which take place at Buddhist temples all over the country. Events that were once fun and chaste, temple fairs have now become breeding grounds for drinking, gambling and prostitution. The degeneration of this formerly innocuous religious celebration serves as an ideal metaphor for a debased country at odds with itself.
Upon entering the show, you are introduced to “Standard,” Siributr’s collaged rendition of his country’s tri-colored flag, which is intentionally constructed out of unwanted material. Siributr’s usage of discarded fragments is telling: The tricolor (or the harmonious union of Thai peoples) is merely a visual construct. Further, the flag bears a striking resemblance to that of France, which, according to Siributr, is no coincidence.
“The President of Thailand literally put two French flags together to create the Thai flag,” said Siributr. “This country is so confused that we have to borrow the flag of another country.”
Works like “Hopes and Dreams I” reveal another sort of hypocrisy. Here, Siributr attaches little appliqués — similar in sprit to the trinkets you’d find at a market — onto pieces of shiny, mass-produced textiles. “The people think glitzy means it’s worth more, which just isn’t the case. The old Thai culture has vanished in favor of a new, empty culture,” said Siributr.
The exhibition will run until December 6.
Image courtesy Tyler Rollins Fine Art.
