Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook's 'I Am An Artist (He Said)' reveals Thai artist's literary voice and art-writing fusion
'I Am An Artist (He Said)' by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook compiles her columns from Thailand's Matichon Weekly, written in the mid-2000s, pairing her prose with her visual artwork. The 65-year-old artist, recognized for her video pieces involving cadavers, delves into themes of art and writing across 29 chapters filled with cultural commentary, personal anecdotes, and gossip. In 2017, a gallery sign heralded her 'return to being a writer' during an exhibition where she penned a novel, with excerpts showcased at Tyler Rollins Fine Art in 2020. The book includes conversations between male and female personas of the artist discussing postmodernism and Thailand's 'Art for Life' initiative. Published by National Gallery Singapore for SG$37.45, it interweaves poetic, feminist, and humorous elements.
Key facts
- Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook's book 'I Am An Artist (He Said)' is a translation of her mid-2000s columns for Matichon Weekly magazine
- The book explores the fusion of artmaking and writing through 29 chapters covering postmodernism, macho artists, and Thailand's 'Art for Life' movement
- In 2017, a gallery sign announced Rasdjarmrearnsook's 'return to being a writer' during an exhibition where she reportedly wrote a novel
- Extracts from that novel were shown with sculptures at Tyler Rollins Fine Art, New York in 2020
- The book features a dialogue between male and female versions of the artist, referred to as He and She
- Translator Kong Rithdee, an acclaimed prose stylist, adapted the original columns
- Rasdjarmrearnsook is known internationally for video works where she reads poetry to cadavers
- The book is published by National Gallery Singapore in softcover for SG$37.45
Entities
Artists
- Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook
- Montien Boonma
- Rirkrit Tiravanija
- Kong Rithdee
Institutions
- Matichon Weekly
- Tyler Rollins Fine Art
- National Gallery Singapore
Locations
- Thailand
- New York
- Singapore