SANTI LAWRACHAWEE, GRAPHIC DESIGNER AND CO-FOUNDER OF PRACTICAL DESIGN STUDIO, EXPLORES AND DIVES DEEP INTO THE TRACE OF HIS MEMORIES OF THE PAST DECADE IN HIS LATEST EXHIBITION FEATURING A SERIES OF BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY CAPTURING THE LINE OF THE RIVER AS WELL AS HIS LARGE AND THICK NOTEBOOK
TEXT: SUTEE NAKARAKORNKUL
PHOTO: KETSIREE WONGWAN EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
Photographs taken when travelling and a journal are the two objects that propels the entire narrative of MemOyoU (Memorandum Of Understanding), the latest solo exhibition by Santi Lawrachawee, graphic designer and co-founder of Practical Design Studio.
A portion of memories from the past decade have been selected, and curated into a series of black and white photographs that document rivers he came across on his journeys to places around the world. Displayed alongside is a large and thick journal, it’s size almost makes it seem difficult to turn each page and see what’s inside.
It appears that inside CASE Space Revolution, the venue in which the exhibition takes place, has transformed into Santi’s memory vault. Photographs of rivers and their mystic aquatic masses and surfaces remind us of his previous works, the book cover design he did for the BOOK LOVER edition of Siddhartha published by openbooks back in 2016. Going back further into his portfolio, in 2013, Santi exhibited his almost-100-centimeter thick journal at the Resort: An exhibition for landscape of rest, which was held at Bangkok Art and Culture Center.
Why the surface? Why not capture the entire landscape and surroundings?
“Perhaps that isn’t really my interest. Perhaps I’m more interested in the abstractness of rivers and the constantly changing physical attributes. Once the context is gone and this is all that is left, I think it’s the state where I feel like I’m not given anything in return but instead taken back to what I have; what I have forgotten or lost along the way. These are the kind of images that make me think about so many different things,” Santi told art4d.
In this sense, the photographs of rivers become so much more than just captured images but a representation of memories; maybe a path of life from a philosophical point of view, and many concepts. Santi elaborates this visceral experience into four pieces of transparent epoxy sculptures shaped to look like a river. Looking closely, the drawings of the words Freedom, Dream, Love and Truth are embedded underneath the sculptures; somewhat encapsulating a memorial of the four words.
The visuals of rivers also get simplified into other forms, islands and other masses, all present on the book’s thick spine — a collection of Santi’s ten year long notes, collected in the form of journals and pieces of paper.
“Initially, this was considered to be the book that stores my memories. I put everything together but I didn’t design for it to be revisited. I’m both short sighted and long sighted, so I deliberately chose the font that I know I won’t be able to read in the future because I know I don’t want to reread it the way I read it now. I think it’s like creating an obstacle for my own reading experience in a way, making it difficult to open each page so that I perceive it as more of a collected object.”
As a collected object, the book’s spine is more significant in both its meaning and physical thickness. Santi designs for the book to be securely installed and kept in a wooden case for future care.
At this point, I have finally grasped how personal this exhibition really is. But I cannot help but ask Santi about what the most difficult part of the show is. “Emotionally, it’s hard that I have to revisit old memories, to choose and rearrange moments. It’s like you have put things into their places, but now you have to go through everything all over again. I received closure with some of the memories, some have faded away, but some are growing more vivid. If you ask me if that’s a good thing, I think it is, in a way.”
Walking back to the mezzanine floor to take a closer look at the photographs of the rivers one more time, in hopes of finding a somewhat personal experience for myself from the show before I leave the place, a thought sprang to mind. People must be flocking the areas along the Thames River by now as their lives are gradually going back to normal. Bitterly, I smiled and chucked to myself. I can’t bring myself to imagine something like that happening under the current circumstance Thailand is going through. Looking back, it seems that my country’s past is obscured, in disarray and has never been properly taken care of. It feels like everything is stuck, having been trapped by a shroud for seven years or even longer. Perhaps it’s a stage where the darker the future, the clearer the past becomes.
MemOyoU is now showing at CASE Space Revolution, from May, 13th – August, 31st 2021. Contact 085-4926422 / email: case.spacerevolution@gmail.com / LINE ID: manipa.j to make an appointment for a visit.