Ever since the birth of her son in 1993, the female breast has become the central focus of Thai artist Pinaree Sanpitak's work. For the artist, it symbolizes not only motherhood and femininity but also relates to the form of a Thai stupa and an alms bowl. Over the years, the artist has explores her theme in all sorts of medium, stretching them, abstracting them. Her latest works, a series of large-scale, monochromatic paintings of breast and cloud forms on Japanese papers, are on view at Tyler Rollins Fine Arts in New York until Apr 16. I do like the installation of large, aluminium mirrors, cast at her foundry on the outskirts of Bangkok.
But I don’t think these works have the same impact that her 2003 installation, where people could plunge themselves into a sea of 200 large breast-shaped cushions. The installation was not only about having fun but also about satisfying a childhood longing for nurturing and comfort. I also like her Breast Stupa Cookery concept, where she’s made her work edible. She created cooking moulds and then asked chefs to come up with recipes. The cooking process was documented and compiled as video and a cookbook, and Breast Stupa Cookery events have been organized around the world with chefs challenged to create more cakes and desserts.
