I Am Gorgeous

Natee Utarit’s practice explores the medium of painting to question Western artistic traditions from a contemporary Asian perspective. This work belongs to his series, Optimism is Ridiculous, which sought to challenge Western colonial worldviews expressed in allegorical paintings of the 17th and 18th centuries. Utarit created parodies of still-life paintings and portraits by using animals in ridiculous circumstances, such as this pheasant dressed in the elaborate ruff collar and coat seen in Flemish portraits of wealthy merchants and their families. Laser-etched throughout the wooden frame, the phrase “I am Gorgeous” reinforces the work's allegorical nature as a critique of pride, which takes on contemporary significance as popularity and influence become real currency in this age of social media.