‘Thru the Straits of Demos’ at Bangkok CityCity
By Ian Tee

Midpoint is a monthly series that invites established Southeast Asian contemporary artists to take stock of their career thus far, reflect upon generational shifts and consider the advantages and challenges of working in the present day. It is part of A&M Dialogues and builds upon the popular Fresh Faces series.

This month’s guest is Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, a Bangkok-based artist working in the medium of photography. His practice revolves around the presentation of visual journals and documentation of people and locations he has encountered. His images unfold moments of intimacy and poetic intensity.

In this conversation, Kornkrit speaks about the Thai art scene in the early 2000s, his latest solo exhibition ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’, as well as his experience working in fine art and fashion photography.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Neo Romantic’, 1998, installation with texts, images, wall painting and incandescent lamp. Curated by Chitti Kasemkitvatana and presented at About Studio/ About Café, Bangkok, Thailand. Image courtesy of the artist.

Could you share a decision or event that marked a significant turn/moment in your path as an artist?

After I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Photography and Printmaking from Chiang Mai University, I decided to move from Chiang Mai to Bangkok in 1998. I had my first solo exhibition the same year at About Studio, an alternative space in Bangkok. They had a programme called ‘Emerge’ for young artists working in the domain of contemporary art. After that, I had many opportunities in the field of visual art and photography. I met many people from the Bangkok art scene and started working on mass media publications and magazine editorials.

When have been milestone achievements for you as an artist, and why have they been particularly memorable?

Between 2005 and 2013, I mostly proposed artworks related to the economic reforms after the Asian Financial Crisis, globalisation and new technologies that connected people. I had a better understanding of how to take a research-based approach in my photography practice when I participated in Jim Thompson’s artist-in-residence programme ‘Art on Farm’ in 2010, in Nakorn Ratchasima province, Thailand. I made the series titled ‘Tales of Praya Prab Mountain’, an interview book with the oral history of villagers who told stories about the mountain. The residency concluded with a site-specific installation ‘Living in History’ in a twin house situated close to Praya Prab mountain. On other occasions, this series has been presented in various exhibitions and in printed form.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’, 2023, exhibition view at Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand. Image courtesy of the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Lumphini Complex’, 2023, 3 digital prints on Fuji paper, acrylic facemount, 45 x 30.5cm [3 pieces]. Image courtesy of the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

Let us turn our focus to your latest solo exhibition ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’ at Bangkok CityCity Gallery. The show presents photo installations drawn from three new volumes of your long-term visual poetry project ‘POEM’. In what ways do the photographs function differently when they take on different incarnations such as photo-installations?

The ‘POEM’ series is based on Nirat, a genre of traditional Thai literature that narrates a journey in the form of poems. In a photo book format, each photograph on the page tells a story. They can be environmental portraits, landscape images, staged photographs, or candid snapshots. When the photos appear as part of an installation, they take on a sculptural form. The choice of different materials also changes the visual language of my photos and how they are experienced. In my exhibition ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’ at Bangkok CityCity Gallery, I worked with different spaces in the compound to create cinematic moments based on my personal memories.

“In my exhibition ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’ at Bangkok CityCity Gallery, I worked with different spaces in the compound to create cinematic moments based on my personal memories. ”

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Poem 12 Thinking of D’, 2018, presented as part of the travelling exhibition ‘Lady Dior As Seen By. Image courtesy of the artist.Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Poem 12 Thinking of D’, 2018, presented as part of the travelling exhibit — Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Poem 12 Thinking of D’, 2018, presented as part of the travelling exhibition ‘Lady Dior As Seen By. Image courtesy of the artist.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, Layout of ‘Poem 12 Thinking of D’, 2018, presented as part of the travelling exhibition ‘Lady Dior As Seen By. Image courtesy of the artist.

You work in the contexts of fine art and fashion photography. How has experiences in each context affected your approach to image-making?

I do think that fashion has helped change traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, as well as the subject of imperfect beauty and otherness. I worked with many young people who are not professional models. They could be marginalised individuals or multiracial teenagers from international schools. I have also cast travellers from Khaosan Road in Bangkok. In my fashion portfolios for magazines, I try to create contemporary portraits rather than only focusing on the fashion elements. I aim to tell stories about the subject and their surroundings. Often, ideas from the editorial layout are also applied in my fine art works.

“In my fashion portfolios for magazines, I try to create contemporary portraits rather than just focusing on the fashion elements.”

Could you talk about ‘Poem 12 Thinking of D’ (2018) which was presented in the travelling exhibition ‘Lady Dior As Seen By’?

I proposed the idea of a travelogue for the exhibition and journeyed to Chanthaburi and Trat, the Easternmost provinces of Thailand. The two provinces are historically important to the relationship between Thailand and France from the late 19th to early 20th centuries. The locations reflect my personal interest in exploring a juxtaposition of Eastern and Western culture, and how the past continues to influence the present. In ‘Poem 12 Thinking of D’, one will see historical landmarks from the area which are evidence from those specific moments in history.

Kornkrit’s workspace. Image courtesy of the artist.

Could you describe your studio and how it has evolved over the years to become what it is today? What do you enjoy about it, and what do you wish to improve?

My studio is part of my two-room apartment, in an area not far from the main street and public transportation in Bangkok. I have been living here for more than 10 years in a simple 1970s style apartment with wooden interiors. I spend a lot of time in my workspace apartment taking photos, including a new ‘POEM’ series with my friends. The scale of rooms in my apartment has inspired the works in my ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’ series.

Could you walk us through a typical work day, or a typical week? What routine do you follow to nourish yourself/your artistic practice?

I start my day with a cigarette and a cup of black coffee. Before lunch time, I would check emails, grab food for the whole day and work on images. From three to six in the afternoon, I work more on post-production of the images. The daily routine at my apartment workspace is not complicated. If I need to photograph on location, my schedule will be determined by the job description.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘Poem 1’, 2016, photobook. Image courtesy of the artist.

What do you think were the unique advantages and disadvantages you had when you were an emerging artist, and with establishing your place since then? How do you think that compares to the set of opportunities and challenges that artists from Thailand/ wider Southeast Asia have today?

Honestly, I did not think about whether I would become an established artist. Back then, I thought only about continuing my art practice and the projects I wish to pursue. The early contemporary art movement in Thailand was primarily driven by alternative spaces. However, the rise of social media changed the ways we connect, allowing the East to meet the West. Nowadays, more opportunities are available in the art scene with the different art festivals, biennials, triennials, and kinds of art spaces in Asia. At the same time, Southeast Asia as a region still needs more support when it comes to freedom of expression.

What has become easier or more difficult to do as time has gone by?

Living life and handling relationships have become easier for me, and so has making decisions. Sometimes, work is difficult but I try my best to make it easy.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan, ‘REALITY (by himself)’, 2015, exhibition view in ‘PROJECT SENSIBILITY’, Bangkok CityCity Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand. Image courtesy of the artist and Bangkok CityCity Gallery.

Access the full Midpoint series here.What do you think has been/is your purpose? How has it kept you going, or at times, how has it been challenging to push against boundaries in order to keep your focus?

I wish to reach the heart of being through art. It can take form through various types of imagery, with a contemporary approach that is socially conscious. I want to keep possibilities open.

And finally, what would be a key piece of advice to young art practitioners ? What has been your formula for success that they can learn from to apply to their own careers?

I would like to quote from Krishnamurti: “Take human beings as they are, not what you think they should be.”

The interview has been edited.

Kornkrit Jianpinidnan’s ‘Thru the Straits of Demos’ is on view at Bangkok CityCity Gallery from 22 April to 3 June 2023.

Access the full Midpoint series here.