“Too much theoretical knowledge could tamper the process of creating art. We sometimes have to let humaneness be the instruments to art,” says Suebsang Sangwachirapiban, one of the curators of Thailand and Japan ART BRUT: Figure of Unknown Beauty, a collaborative exhibition between the two countries that’s being shown across Southeast Asia.
Art Brut, created through the eyes of socially and culturally isolated people such as the disabled, inmates, the elderly, or individuals who are not trained in the arts, was first established around 1945 by French artist Jean Dubuffet. Its prominence hinges on its portrayal of unique forms of creativity, as well as the innocence, rawness and freedom of its creators, i.e., those who are not following a set of artistic rules. Another remarkable aspect of this form is how it encourages individuals or groups of people not within mainstream society to utilize art in order to express their personal statements.
The exhibition at BACC displays the art of 51 Thai and Japanese artists in various forms such as paintings, ceramic art, 3D art and photography.