Artist Statement

I am captivated by the transformative power of the painted object, and its ability, through a kind of aesthetic camouflage, to elevate the unremarkable into something of perceived value. This fascination reflects my complex journey between cultures. Born in the United States, raised in Thailand, and now residing here again, I feel both a connection to and separation from my Thai heritage. I carry a lingering sense of shame from existing between these worlds, feeling neither fully authentic nor entirely inauthentic within my cultural identity. Paint, with its layered and often illusory nature, mirrors this in-between experience, allowing me to connect with my origins through abstraction and to imbue my constructed forms with a sense of richness.

I attempt to reconnect to ancestral knowledge within Thai craft, culture, and history by imbuing everyday materials as an act of reclamation. Craft forms such as goldwork, lacquer, wood carving, mother-of-pearl inlays, basketry, mural painting serve as loose inspiration since these direct ways of making are lost to me. Poplar and birch from home improvement stores are dyed with aniline or brass and copper mesh are patinated as “weavings. Palettes of red, green, gold, silver, and bronze were painted on fused plastics and sculptures as “mural paintings” or “metalwork.” Drawing on a renewed interest in traditional Thai artmaking my use of materials is now meant to convince others of the object’s significance but also convince myself of my own value to the Thai community as a second-generation Thai American.

              My work is set in a dystopian world shaped by human-induced environmental collapse, where survival depends on a return to cultural traditions. Through paintings, sculptures, and wearable art, I contemplate healthcare, ecological destruction, overconsumption, waste colonialism, and cultural assimilation. This intersection of culture, environment, and consumption is influenced by my experience in environmental testing, where I analyzed aqueous and solid samples for contamination. Waste, as an overlooked residue of society’s intake, became central to my practice, merging with craft-adjacent techniques. These materials accumulate into culturally inclined yet detached forms, evoking physical and spiritual preservation as I connect myself beyond the confines of the material world.

When I die and reincarnate into a body, possibly in the future, I speculate that I want to leave behind the will to pursue an art life, just as those before me have done. As an artist, I am committed to ensuring that our cultural memory, resilience, and spirit endure beyond this time.