Phaptawan Suwannakudt’s exhibition, Bhava Series, presents the subjective state of one’s existence within in-between spaces. Full of a richness of colour, a density of voices and intonations of place, this is Suwannakudt’s fourth solo exhibition at ARC ONE Gallery, 9 April - 11 May 2013.
In Thai, the complexity of the word 'bhava' encompasses ‘existence,’ or ‘the status of being’, which originated from a Pāli word meaning ‘to become’ or ‘a subjective becoming,’ in the sense of living, feeling and ascending within one’s continuous and cyclical worldly existence. In her devotion to her sense of self and discovery, Suwannakudt continues to create works that are contemplative, aesthetic tapestries - condensed communicative murals.
Phaptawan's recent sculptural and collaborative works further extend into the subjectivity of experience, participants writing their private thoughts on cloth made of vegetation fibre picked and woven in Thailand, the remnants of which have been incorporated into some of the works in 'Bhava Series'. Imbued with allegorical and everyday references - like one looking from a window over a landscape rendered both familiar and foreign - these works tell stories of personal memories, dreams and experiences of perpetual movement towards understanding and belonging.
- Annabel Holt, April 2013
In Bhava Series, Suwannakudt's paint and cloth weave together with the density of a multimedia tapestry, in direct reference to over twenty years of foundational training as a muralist in Bhuddist temples under the master tutorship of her father, Paiboon Suwannakudt. Phaptawan Suwannakudt migrated from Thailand to Australia in 1996, her entry into Australian culture being a disorientating experience.
For all enquiries, please contact Annabel Holt at mail@arc1gallery.com