Marisa Srijunpleang's autoethnographic floral study at Hub of Photography explores Thai-Cambodian border trauma
Marisa Srijunpleang, a Thai-Khmer artist, is showcasing her inaugural solo exhibition titled 'Blooms With The Wind Blows' at the Hub of Photography in Bangkok until July 21. This exhibition delves into themes of familial history and trauma related to borderlands. Last year, Srijunpleang was awarded the sixth 'Early Years Project' by the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre for her work 'T360174' (2023), which reflects on her aunt's asylum journey following the Cambodian genocide. The display includes 15 photographic pieces depicting grass flowers near the Thai-Cambodian border, along with a focal point of dok rak seeds that allude to the Sandonta ancestor-worship ritual. Titles like 'Be Strong Under The Sun' and 'Rough and Resolute with the Wind' emphasize resilience, linking historical border trauma to ongoing issues, as Myanmar's civil war has forced over three million people to flee since 2021.
Key facts
- Marisa Srijunpleang's first solo exhibition runs through July 21 at Hub of Photography, Bangkok
- The Thai-Khmer artist won Bangkok Art and Culture Centre's sixth 'Early Years Project' in 2023
- Her previous work 'T360174' explored her aunt's asylum experience after the Cambodian genocide
- The exhibition features 15 photographic studies of grass flowers from the Thai-Cambodian border
- A centerpiece installation uses dok rak (crown flower) seeds in reference to Sandonta ceremonies
- Srijunpleang's family became trapped in Cambodia in 1975 during a trip from Surin province, Thailand
- The artist's practice examines border trauma, with implicit connections to Myanmar's ongoing civil war
- Flowers in the work serve as placeholders for war displacement and representations of familial resilience
Entities
Artists
- Marisa Srijunpleang
Institutions
- Hub of Photography
- Bangkok Art and Culture Centre
Locations
- Bangkok
- Thailand
- Cambodia
- Surin province
- Myanmar
- Thai-Cambodian border