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Vasan Sitthiket / Thailand b.1957 / Sinners are weapon merchants; who profit from suffering and devastation. Their heads will be hanged down in cave of conflagration; hitting each other to death (from ‘Inferno’ series) 1991 / Synthetic polymer paint on canvas / 60 x 50cm / Gift of Alex and Kitty Mackay through the Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art Foundation 2020. Donated through the Australian Government’s Cultural Gifts Program / Collection: Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art / © Vasan Sitthiket
Vasan SitthiketSinners are weapon merchants; who profit from suffering and devastation. Their heads will be hanged down in cave of conflagration; hitting each other to death 1991
Not Currently on Display
The ‘Inferno’ series is inspired by Vasan Sitthiket’s readings of Traibhum-Phra Ruang: The Book of Three Worlds — an important Thai Buddhist manuscript which describes the different states of suffering and hell dealt to those who behave immorally. This text vividly articulates the potential for a darker side to human nature. Whilst a large proportion of Thai artists, architects and writers have been influenced by the structure and disturbing visions contained within this text, it is an aspect of Buddhism that is little understood.
Viewing his role as an artist as one with a responsibility to make people aware of the society they live in, Sitthiket draws attention to the confluence between these more disquieting visions in the Buddhist imaginary and the stark realities of life in the ‘land of smiles’.
The ‘Inferno’ paintings are intended to shock and this is supported by Sitthiket’s strong use of colour, dramatic compositions and expressive brushstrokes. The brutal strength of these figures carries a haunting beauty that explores the depths of the human spirit. The series broke new ground in the local Thai art scene, opening up a critical dialogue with experimental art on a broader level. This significant body of work has also established Sitthiket as one of the most controversial and important artists of his generation.
Vasan Sitthiket has produced some of the most recognisable and provocative works to emerge from Thailand in the past three decades. In challenging socio-political issues, his paintings have been influential in leading a wave of Thai artist-activists.
Despite the provocative nature of his images and the artist’s vulnerability to censorship and political reprisal, Sitthiket has remained a highly prolific artist and is one of the country’s leading international figures. He persists in his plight to confront Thai society today by exposing the dishonesty, corruption and exploitation that he sees the nation facing.
Sitthiket works across media as diverse as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture and performance. His writing, including critical texts, children’s books and dramatic plays, has received much critical attention within Thailand.