Blue Figures, 2023

Kitikong Tilokwattanotai  

The brushstroke technique is the base of Tilokwattanotai practice.

Whether combined or layered to create a shape illusion, or left as is, the brushstroke remains a marker of the moment when the artist has connected with the canvas through a movement to express an emotion. In an abstract artwork, by definition without direct reference to an object or person, the brushstroke is self-sufficient thus creating its own meaning.

But Tilokwattanotai turns the brushstroke into a vector of communication, where the paintbrush becomes an extension of his body and soul. In his emotional and meditative state, Tilokwattanotai allows his ego to vanish and automation to take over; the painting creates itself.

In his creations, he uses lacquer, an ancestral material widely used in Asian art and crafts.  The long lacquering process - several weeks - requires meticulous application of thin layers - around fifty - and a succession of sanding and polishing operations. The lacquer then becomes a texture developer for the layers of paint and a chromatic intensifier for the pigments. These effects reveal the depth of the work, making the invisible visible.

The gesture of the brush combined with the mirror effect of the lacquer and the expressive  calligraphy-like forms encourage the viewer to interact with the work. The displayed forms then simply act as guides to infinite possibilities. Such signification, not related to place or time, stimulates the imagination.