Manila Welcomes Natee Utarit

Natee Utarit, "Economy Lesson"

For many of us who keep abreast of the Southeast Asian contemporary art scene, Natee Utarit is a rock star. Arguably Thailand’s best-known painter, he enjoys the same stature that Manila accords Ronald Ventura or Geraldine Javier. Like them, he is a familiar presence in the auction circuit. Natee has exhibited extensively throughout the region, including solo shows in China and Korea. Last year, the Singapore Art Museum mounted a mid-career retrospective of the 41-year-old’s work.

Natee’s paintings stand out for their stillness: the clean and quiet rendition of seemingly benign objects precisely laid out, angled just so, injected with an unexpected single bright color. They mask his strong, definite views on the state of Thailand’s affairs. Natee paints in code—each object, each color allude to his country’s political turmoil, its economy, or the socio-cultural influences of its people. A bright yellow skeleton, for instance, may refer to the yellow shirted supporters of the coup against former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra.

Bourgeois Dilemma marks Natee’s first solo exhibit in Manila. Now on view at Finale Art Gallery, he sent over a series of small works, each roughly the size of a legal document. They have been beautifully framed in wood hand-carved to his specific design, executed locally by craftsmen from Paete. He has painted concisely on linen, each item rich with symbolism. The empty mannequin torsos used to display jewelry in King and Queen hint at the prolonged absence from public view of the royal couple, the country’s heads of state. In the background, a wall of carton bound with tape implies that Their Majesties have been packed up, bundled out of sight. His approach differs from the obvious militancy we Pinoys are used to.

You don’t need knowledge of Thai culture to appreciate Natee’s work, though. Most of these small pieces in Finale beckon the viewer to examine them up close, to appreciate Natee’s skill at painting still lifes.

I had the chance at a brief encounter with Natee a few years ago. He struck me as quiet and self-effacing, yet quite passionate and committed to his work. Unfortunately, I could not renew the acquaintance as Natee did not make it to his Manila opening. He has been trapped in Bangkok, a victim of the disastrous and debilitating floods that have engulfed the city. A tragedy whose magnitude we are likely to experience through Natee’s future work.

Bourgeois Dilemma runs from 4 to 26 November 2011 At Finale Art Gallery, Warehouse 17, La Fuerza Compound, 2241 Pasong Tamo, Makati City. Phone (632) 813-2310 or visit http://www.finaleartfile.com