Princess Marsi Sukhumbhand Paribatra's oil on canvas powerfully communicates her keywords : "Art is a reflection of life and death. I try to interpret this in my way." As someone who has viewed death through a poetic lens, her surrealist-fantastic art harmoniously blends Western and Eastern nuances to depictthe artist's vast imaginative world.
In Thailand, the princess's paintings have so far been presented in three exhibitions : 'MARSI' in 2010, 'L'art de Marsi' in 2013 and 'Beauty and Ugliness: Aesthetic of Marsi' in 2018. The last exhibition was held at the National Gallery, with Assistant Professor Dr.Supachai Areerungruang as curator, and featured not only her oil paintings and sketches on wax paper, but also her personal belongings, furniture, books, andraredocumentaries. On maroon gallery walls, the flowers and animals created by her brush strokes simply came alive.
Now, the viewer can admire her talent digitally, as the Marsi Foundation has collaborated with Google Arts & Culture to bring back the exhibition on'Beauty and Ugliness: Aesthetic of Marsi' as a digital show, available through web browsers and the Google Arts & Culture iOS and Android apps. The princess now joins themany great artists of inthe world, whose works are showcased on this platform.
The exhibition is divided into four parts: 'Who Is Princess Marsi?', 'The Joy of Animal, Birds & Flowers', 'Beauty and Ugliness' and 'Art Is A Reflection of Life and Death'.Together, they offer a journey into Marsi's world of imagination as well as to explore the artist's identity. In particular, the viewer will come to know the artist through five paintings that have gained recognition from art lovers.
The Ball(oil painting, 1989, 130 ? 195 cm)is one of Marsi's masterpieces. Explosive in colour and detail, the painting portrays a lively danceof animals. It received an award judged by a committee of youths at the Provence-Arts Festival in 1991.
The Wall(oil painting, 1985, 114 ? 146 cm) is about life and death. Inside the wall, people are enjoying themselves and being romantic. The other side of the wall, is a land of separation, where people long for their loved ones. The painting reflects the truth that "life and death are inseparable".
The Mystical Marriage of Prince Noui Noui at Vellara(oil painting, 2003, 130 ? 195 cm)features the princess's beloved Saint Bernard dog named Noui Noui. When it suddenly, the artist imagined a spectacular scene of Noui Noui's wedding to express her love for her pet.
Noah's Ark(oil painting, 1992, 130 x 209 cm) depicts the famous biblical story in which God saved Noah, his family and the animals that lived on his ark from a great flood. Here, the animals have unique characters and wear fine jewellery that reflects the taste of the artist.
Give Me Your Hand(1995) was painted with ultramarine, the finest and most expensive blue used by Renaissance painters. This colour was oftenused to paint the blue ropes of the Virgin Mary to signify sacredness and modesty. (This blue colour had been very expensiveuntil a synthetic version was developed in 1826.)
To enjoy Marsi's paintings and rich imagination and to get to know the artist, visit https://artsandculture.google.com/partner/marsi-foundationand http://marsifoundation.org/home/.
Source: fyi bangkok