Natee Utarit: Déjà vu: Buddha is Hiding

STPI— Creative Workshop & Gallery is pleased to present Déjà vu: Buddha is Hiding, a thoughtful exploration on decolonisation in the arts by leading Thai contemporary artist, Natee Utarit. Set to run from September 28, 2024 to December 1, 2024, the exhibition will comprise of over 40 artworks by Utarit, and is curated by John Tung, one of Singapore’s most prominent curators with significant experience curating past editions of S.E.A. Focus (2024) and the Singapore Biennale (2016 and 2019).  

This exhibition concludes his Déjà vu series first conceived in 2019, where Utarit imagines Buddha’s hypothetical journey to the West, and explores themes of identity and colonial conditioning, juxtaposing Eastern and Western imagery through innovative print and paper works made in collaboration with STPI. 

Highlight works on show include BUDDHA PALAZZO (a.m.) (2024) and BUDDHA PALAZZO (p.m.) (2024), which present two different views—by day and by night—of the same building and reflect his study of the intersection of Eastern and Western ideologies. Monumental in size and complex in printing techniques, the artworks are layered on a canvas hand-painted by Utarit, creating stunning textured compositions of impressive scale that set the tone of the exhibition.  

Using paper made in STPI’s very own mill, Utarit finds innovative expression for the medium, creating a sculpture series of statue fragments. These works—TORSO (2024), UTOPIA (2024), ARCHETYPE (2024), APOLLO 14 (2024) et al—comprise anatomical forms and shapes of clothing that allude to ancient Buddha statues. With touches of graffiti embedded in some of these statues, Utarit plays with the motif of illicit erasure, seen through the lens of European colonialism and the unapologetic looting of cultural artefacts.  

“Utarit’s works of art become a new ‘truth,’ reshaping understanding of the original circumstances through the lens of a different language and culture. With this series made in collaboration with the STPI Creative Workshop, he invites the audience to discover overlooked stories and histories of the East, in order to weave a clear perspective of the world for ourselves.”  —John Tung, curator 

In Déjà vu: Buddha is Hiding, Utarit amplifies his place as an important voice in the regional art scene, concluding his Déjà vu series with a powerful examination of Western hegemony in art history, vis a vis the cultural and historical landscape of Southeast Asia. 

A solo showcase of Utarit’s works will concurrently be presented by Richard Koh Fine Art at The Private Museum, Singapore from late October 2024. Earlier this year, Utarit was included in the group show ‘The Spirits of Maritime Crossing’, a collateral event of the 60th Venice Biennale, which highlighted themes of displacement, colonialism and hybrids of diverse cultures across Southeast Asia. 

In collaboration with STPI’s highly skilled Creative Workshop team, print and paper take centre stage to manifest new creative dimensions in distinguished art practices. Renowned contemporary artists such as Pinaree Sanpitak, Melati Suryodarmo, Dinh Q. Lê and Manuel Ocampo, among others, have thrived in the unlimited possibilities allowed by artistic experimentation in their STPI residencies.