Capturing the spec tr ums of ge nd er dive rs it y
Exquisite new work from some of Thailand’s best photographers
By turns vibrant, timid, thoughtful, fleeting, rainbow and monochrome, t he photo exhibition “Kaleidoscope: Through My Lens” reflects the spectrum of gender diversity — as diverse as the shades of colours. The exhibition is currently being held at Woof Pack in Sala Daeng.
The diversity of the LGBTI community is being interpreted and reflected through the works of several photographers, such as Nat Prakobsantisuk, Amat Nimitpark, Tada Varich, Piyatat Hemmatat, Kanachai Bencharongkul and more, in over 40 photographs that include portraits, landscapes, street and abstract interpretations of the theme.
On one side of the room, serving as an eye-catching centrepiece, is Pan Pan Narkprasert — famous as his drag persona Pangina Heals — who dresses up his father in the vibrant garb of drag, as captured by Tom Potisit. Not too far away, Bigs Vatcharasith subjectifies transgender man and woman through iridescent bubbles in his portraits. Up-and-coming Kanachai plays with nakedness and strips his models bare, adorning them only with rays of rainbow on their skin. Each to their own interpretation and design, and some of the works will grab audiences right away, while others will take a little more time to decipher and linger over.
For film photographer Muay Parivudhiphongs, she went a little old school with her medium format film camera. Her black-and-white photos were shot with double-exposure techniques, and printed on fibre-based paper to get the right feel of grainy greyscale on off-white paper.
In Muay’s Reaching Our True Light, tree branches weave and intersect. While most of the branches are dry, a portion of them are blooming with leaves. To Muay, this signifies the lives of LGBTI people.
“It’s like they’re reaching out to their light, too,” said the photographer.
In her other work, Song Of Myself, Muay works with what she terms a stillness in space. A woman and a sea. A serenity in the infinity. A sense of comfort as they let their mind run wild. Everybody goes through their own story, she said.
As a member of the LGBTI community herself, Muay’s viewpoint is that of someone on the inside looking out. At the same time, she doesn’t feel as though she is expressing her own personal story.
“I guess I’m not trying to be a spokesperson or anything. I’ve never thought of LGBTI as being an issue. It comes naturally. It’s not something you have to express publicly or broadcast to everyone, but I admire people who do. If not for them, a lot of our stories wouldn’t be heard and seen,” said Muay, adding that she feels the concept of gender diversity has become more equal, more normalised in recent years.
While some photographers present brand-new works at the exhibition, not every photo is shot specifically for this project. Some photographers, like Surasak Ittirit, discovered hidden gems among their collections of undeveloped film.
“I don’t want to go for things that are too obvious and direct. Not too human. I prefer more of an atmosphere,” said Surasak, who called both of his works The Subtle Accident.
They’re an unintentional mistake, as he put it. One carries an outline of what appears to be a girl, while the other features a non-descriptive pattern on a wall. As to why he chose the two photos for the exhibition, the photographer feels they are quite connected with gender identity.
“Some things are simply unintentional and can’t be explained. Sometimes, we don’t know why certain things happen. We don’t have to have reasons for everything,” he said.
The photos may seem a mistake to others. Looking passively, they look to be overexposed shots with no rhyme or reason. The film is also slightly torn, which is very visible on the photo.
“In the past, I wouldn’t have liked these photos,” admitted Surasak. “I would have considered them ruined. But they’re beautiful to me now. I think that takes some maturity over the years. My thoughts have changed. Beauty, indeed, has changed.”