For our Art issue, we invited artists from Singapore and the Asian region to ponder the questions surrounding creativity, inspiration and purpose in today’s world. Here, we speak to Pinaree Sanpitak from Thailand, who’s represented by Ames Yavuz Gallery.
What would you say are the best things about being an artist today?
An artist creates a language to portray thoughts, stories, experiences, ideas, and memories. The vocabulary and structure can be unique, specific or general. It is a freedom in creation, which cannot be taken for granted.
What are the biggest challenges facing the art world now?
In my personal experience of practicing art for 40 years, I don’t think any of the challenges have changed. To overcome, you find people you can trust. Good instincts go a long way.
How should one approach contemporary art?
Personally, I always try to keep an open mind. And give yourself time. When you are inspired, you’ll see the details and the artist’s intentions. Of course, there will be times when you might feel disappointed or even bored.
How do you stay true to who you are as an artist?
For me, what I do has to be rooted and honest with myself, first and foremost. It takes time, determination, and a bit of stubbornness.
What’s something you would like to explore next?
Recently I have been offered to work in site-specific venues alongside my projects. These conditions challenge and create good opportunities to research and gather thoughts on how my work can converse with others in a fulfilling and worthwhile manner. A lot of the time, things in my life happen so coincidentally, like my new kinetic work “Balancing Act,” which undulates and twirls in each momentum, in each move, in each character—not unlike how one manages one’s life each day.
PHOTOGRAPHY JAYA KHIDIR