As time goes by, the past fades into oblivion. Like other artists, Tawatchai Somkong combs through piles of dusty history and finds something invaluable. He often visits antique shops when travelling abroad. Century-old sepia paintings are used for lavish adornment, and some are high-quality for museum display. In 2014, he began to create a collection of works that personally resonated with him.
"I wanted to bring them back to the world of contemporary art," he said of his solo endeavour that concluded at the Matdot Art Centre last week. It was titled "Me And Them" in English or "Tawiphob" in Thai, a nod to a famous novel by Tomyantee. A playful punch was signalled by how the artist spelt the word phob in Thai differently to convey an intended meaning -- an encounter between the past and the present.
