THE MUTUAL FRIENDS

8 JUNE ’24 – 14 JULY ’24

KHANTIKO

EXHIBITION BY VIPUT A.

& BALLOON ART

It has always been my belief that making new friends doesn’t always have to start from scratch. Sometimes, it can happen in places we’ve been to or even with people we already know or know only a little. This thought popped into my head when I decided to start this project with Charoen Krung Road, my main inspiration for this exhibition.

Charoen Krung Road is a popular area with a long history. So long, in fact, that it is the oldest road in Thailand. I have many memories of this road from stories told by my family and from my own experiences. This area has a beautiful and perfect blend of both the lifestyles of the new generation and the old. This road is also a popular location for the showcasing of many artworks as well. It is an area that I have a strong connection to, so I want to present a sense of fun through the combination of both modern and classic aspects. I call it the ‘The Mutual Friends. Exhibition’.

The Mutual Friends. Exhibition was inspired by the concept of unexpected encounters. I believe that these fortuitous run-ins with others are serendipitous. So, I wanted to tell a story of everyday familiarity, perhaps one that we do not even notice at first, including my own moments with this road. A story told through images in the medium of modern style paintings combined with classic depictions and I would like to share this story through this exhibition.

In this regard, I hope that the presentation of my artwork is conveyed as friendly and reminiscent, like friends who have known and shared happy moments with each other. It could also be considered a safe zone providing a space for new chance encounters to grow and become branches of these stories that can be viewed and shared together. In this exhibition, The Mutual Friends, I present Charoen Krung Road from my own personal point of view, and for the first time I am also working in collaboration with Balloon Art to create my first 3D artwork. It is my hope that we can all get to know each other a little better, my mutual friends.

Viput Asawavetvutt