Natee Utarit

Natee Utarit’s artistic practice questions the relevance of Western painting within the context of postcolonial Southeast Asia. Utilising the genres of historical and religious paintings, portraiture, landscape, and still life, Utarit’s works challenge the visual forms of Western Art transferred through centuries of colonialisation and art education to engage with perception, authenticity, and hybridity in contemporary painting. A master of composition, his paintings often combine elements from Western and Eastern influences to allude to contemporary socio-political realities in Thailand. Utarit graduated with a degree in graphic arts at the Painting and Sculpture Faculty at Silpakorn University, Bangkok, in 1991.  Among his notable exhibitions are Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West, Art Centre, Silpakorn University, Bangkok Thailand (2022); Interaction Napoli, Fondazione Made in Cloister, Napoli, Italy (2022); Optimism is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces, The Private Museum, Singapore (2018); Optimism is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces, National Gallery of Indonesia, Jakarta, Indonesia (2017); Optimism is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces, Ayala Museum, Manila, the Philippines (2017); Illustration of the Crisis, Bangkok University Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand (2013), After Painting, Singapore Art Museum, Singapore (2010); The Amusement of Dreams, Hope and Perfection, Art Center of Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand (2007). Recent group exhibitions include Beyond Bliss, Bangkok Art Biennale 2018, Bangkok, Thailand (2018), Contemporary Chaos, Vestfossen Kunstlaboratorium, Norway (2018), Thai Eye, BACC, Bangkok, Thailand and Saatchi Gallery, London, UK (2016/2015), Art of ASEAN, Bank Negara Museum and Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2015); Time of Others, Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan (2015); and Asian Art Biennale 2013: Everyday Life, National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei, Taiwan (2013).

His work is part of many renowned collections such as Bangkok University, Queensland Art Gallery, Gallery of Modern Art, Brisbane, Australia, and Singapore Art Museum, as well as private collections in Europe and Asia.