A Day in the Life: Kawita Vatanajyankur
Body as everyday objects
By Kawita Vatanajyankur, with Nabila Giovanna W
‘A Day in the Life’ is a series by A&M where we invite artists to share a day in their life through images accompanied by brief descriptions.
Kawita Vatanajyankur.
Kawita Vatanajyankur (b. 1987) is a Thai artist who conveys social issues such as feminism, oppression and consumerism through her performance. In her advertisement-inspired, pop-coloured performance videos, she arranges herself into formidable positions to address the issues while mirroring female struggle and resilience. For ‘A Day in the Life’, Kawita takes us behind the scenes of her work ‘My Mother and I’ (2021) where she transforms into a vacuum cleaner to address the danger of air pollution.
Kawita Vatanajyankur, ‘My Mother and I’, 2021, 4K Video. Image courtesy of the artist.
In ‘My Mother and I’ (2021), I construct a makeshift house to highlight the invasive result of air pollution which imitates the reality of dust pollution. By using a living space as a factor, I challenge the idea of assumed safety. I compare the structure of the architectural space to the corporeal which acts as a container or an outer skin. The interior resembles the internal organs such as the human lung. In other words, the constructed house is itself the human body.
Behind the scenes of ‘My Mother and I’, 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.
Together with my mother and friend, Sirima Chaipreechawit, we reviewed the footage of the performance to develop the work further.
Behind the scenes of ‘My Mother and I’, 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.
My team and I setting up equipment and preparing for the shoot.
In the work, the visual imagery of dark to bright and blur to sharp, which occurred through an intensive and repetitive action of breathing, examines the reflection of human conditions such as existence and death, labour and work, effort and struggle. In a crucial manner, this work is a criticism towards the nature of ignorance, the severity of the situation, and emphasis on environmental concerns.
“In the work, the visual imagery of dark to bright and blur to sharp, which occurred through an intensive and repetitive action of breathing, examines the reflection of human conditions such as existence and death, labour and work, effort and struggle.”
Behind the scenes of ‘My Mother and I’, 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.
My team aids me into my sculptural position.
Behind the scenes of ‘My Mother and I’, 2021. Image courtesy of the artist.
I am setting up the main equipment for the shoot: the vacuum cleaner.
For this work, I present a colourful palette in a satirical manner., The vacuum cleaner absorbs dust until the vibrance and brightness are finally seen. Brightness is a recognition of optimism while dust indicates desaturation. In symbolising hope and death, I attempt to tell a story of the universality of life and dust.
Find out more about Kawita Vatanajyankur’s works on her website and Instagram account.
Read other ‘A Day in the Life’ stories here.
About the Artist
Kawita Vatanajyankur has exhibited widely across Australia, as well as Asia, USA and Europe. Her work is held at the National Collection of Thailand and in museum collections including Singapore Art Museum, Dunedin Public Art Gallery (Dunedin Art Museum), MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum, MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art (Bangkok), as well as university collections and private collections in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and America. She is currently represented by Nova Contemporary, Bangkok.
