Kawita Vatanajyankur has achieved significant recognition since graduating from RMIT University (BA, Fine Art) in 2011. In 2015, she was a Finalist in the Jaguar Asia Pacific Tech Art Prize and curated into the prestigious Thailand Eye exhibition at Saatchi Gallery in London. Her work was curated into the ‘Islands in the Stream’ exhibition in Venice, alongside the 57th Venice Biennale in 2017. Furthermore, she was selected to present her works at the Asia Triennale of Performing Arts at Melbourne Arts Centre, as well as the Asian Art Biennial Taiwan in that year. Vatanajyankur joined the first Bangkok Art Biennale in 2018 and exhibited her work as part of ‘Absurdity in Paradise’ at Fridericianum Museum in Kassel, Germany.  In 2019, Vatanajyankur held her largest museum show titled  ‘Foul Play’ at Albright Knox Art Gallery in New York, USA. Moreover, she participated as part of the ‘Collecting Entanglements and Embodied Histories’ exhibition at the Maiiam Museum of Contemporary Art (in Chiang Mai, Thailand) and Hamburger Bahnhof (in Berlin, Germany) in 2021. In that same year, her work was chosen for the ‘Balance’ exhibition at Hamburger Bahnhof. Vatanajyankur joined the third edition of the Bangkok Art Biennale under the theme ‘Chaos and Calm’ while also displaying her work as part of ‘Fun Feminism’ at Kunst Museum Basel in Basel, Switzerland, and ‘The Uncanny World’ at the Museum of Contemporary Art Busan in Busan, Korea. In 2023, Vatanajyankur held a solo booth, which was introduced by Nova Contemporary at the Encounter section at Art Basel Hong Kong. In 2024, Kawita presented her works as part of ‘The Spirits of Maritime Crossing, ’ an official collateral exhibition of the Venice Biennale, and was taking part as one of the selected artists at the Asia Pacific Triennale (APT11) in Brisbane, Australia. 

Vatanajyankur has exhibited widely across Australia, as well as Asia, the USA, and Europe. Vatanajyankur’s work is held at the National Collection of Thailand and in Museum collections including Queensland Gallery of Modern Art (QAGOMA), Singapore Art Museum (Singapore), JUT Art Museum (Taiwan), M Woods Museum (China), Dunedin Public Art Gallery (New Zealand), Maiiam Contemporary Art Museum (Thailand), DIB Contemporary Art Museum (Thailand), MOCA Museum of Contemporary Art (Thailand), as well as university collections and private collections in Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and America. She is currently represented by Nova Contemporary, Bangkok.

Can you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background as an artist?

My name is Kawita Vatanajyankur, and I am a performative video artist based in Bangkok, Thailand. My artistic journey was profoundly shaped by my education at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia, where I was immersed in the city’s dynamic art scene and was inspired by my mentors to pursue a career as a contemporary artist.

After graduating, I engaged actively with the Australian art community, submitting my proposals to various institutions before returning to Thailand. Here, I established my art studio and was warmly embraced by the local arts community.

Since my early days at RMIT, I have been driven by a passion to explore themes that resonate deeply with me, particularly gender and labor. Through my work, I aim to challenge perceptions and contribute to meaningful discussions on these important issues.

What are the main themes or concepts you explore in your work?

My artistic journey has unfolded through distinct series of work, each reflecting a different facet of my exploration. The “Tools” series emerged when I returned to Thailand after a decade as an international student in Melbourne, Australia. During this period, I felt like an outsider, alienated from Thai culture and society, which held differing views on female roles. This sense of misalignment made me feel as though I was constantly at odds with societal expectations, as if I was always falling short of what was expected of a woman.

Driven by feelings of loneliness and isolation, I began the “Tools” series as a means of expressing these emotions. I found myself objectifying and transforming into what society demanded, leading me to question my identity and personal values deeply. In this series, I physically embody household domestic objects, performing as cleaning or cooking tools within the home. These roles are symbolic of the often unseen and undervalued abstract labor that women undertake. By embodying these tools, I highlight the societal expectation of women as emotional shelters and caretakers while also challenging the lack of recognition and appreciation for the extensive and invaluable contributions women make.

Following the “Tools” series, my focus shifted to exploring the roles of women’s work outside the home, within various industries. This exploration unveiled the harsh realities of violence and exploitation in workplaces, compounded by wages so low that survival becomes a struggle for these laborers. Despite numerous protests, the voices of these oppressed individuals remain largely unheard and often silenced by authorities.

The fast fashion industry serves as a stark example. Here, workers endure meager wages, lack social security, and toil in toxic environments saturated with chemical dyes. This series illuminated the devastating effects of our society’s relentless drive for consumption and the pervasive feeling of never having “enough.” We are conditioned by capitalist ideals to crave more possessions, wealth, and career success, all while clinging to materialistic values.

This insatiable desire fuels massive consumption, compelling industries to continually sell us products like clothes and beauty items. In today’s era, products are made cheaper, luring us into a false sense of fulfillment, yet true satisfaction remains elusive. Meanwhile, the relentless cycle of exploitation devastates the lives of these workers and wreaks havoc on our environment, with factory pollution contaminating our air and poisoning our oceans.

These revelations inspired the creation of a significant video series titled “Performing Textiles.” In this series, I use my female body as a representation of textiles and garment machines in factories, symbolizing the dehumanization and mechanization of female labor in the fashion industry. Through my work, I aim to shed light on these critical issues and challenge the underlying values driving this destructive cycle.

While completing the “Performing Textiles” series, I delved into researching the impact of systemic exploitation on farmers, particularly concerning the costs and consequences of genetically modified seeds. These seeds, coupled with the necessary purchase of expensive chemicals, place a significant financial burden on farmers. To understand this issue more deeply, I embarked on a field study in India with a friend, where we interviewed farmers to uncover how these practices lead to exploitation and, tragically, drive some to use chemical pesticides as a means of suicide.

Amidst the challenges, our trip also revealed a glimmer of hope through encounters with organic communities dedicated to addressing these problems. These groups strive to bring sustainability to the agricultural sector, improving farmers’ lives while providing society with healthy food products.

Inspired by these discoveries, I created a series titled “Field Work,” which explores the broken scale of injustice within the agricultural system. Through this series, I aim to highlight both the struggles and the potential solutions, emphasizing the need for systemic change and sustainable practices.

How do your personal experiences and identity influence your art?

The passing of my father, due to cancer exacerbated by excessive work and lack of rest, served as a catalyst for my exploration of the human condition through the lenses of work and labor. This deeply personal loss prompted me to question the relentless pursuit of success ingrained in capitalism and its detrimental effects on our well-being.

As I pondered our growing tendency to adopt mechanistic behaviors, losing touch with our humanity in the relentless quest for productivity, I also reflected on how consumption and materialistic values further entangle us in this cycle. We often find ourselves trapped in the pursuit of more—more possessions, more success—believing it will fulfill us, yet it frequently leaves us disconnected from our true selves.

Through my art, I aim to uncover the essence of humanity and challenge the narratives that bind us to the demands of capitalism, consumption, and materialism. By doing so, I aspire to prompt reflection on our genuine human identity beyond the confines of labor and material pursuits.

Do you collaborate with other artists or creators? If so, how has collaboration influenced your work?

In my recent series, I had the opportunity to collaborate with a game developer, AI scientists, and engineers to create an innovative body of work. This journey began with an artistic virtual reality game titled “Voidscape,” commissioned by Central Department Store, which generously sponsored our production and provided the necessary spaces. Co-created with the talented game developer Cyrus James Khan, “Voidscape” immerses audiences in a dystopian future, illustrating the consequences of unchecked consumerism and rampant consumption.

The work unfolds across various virtual worlds, each depicting a different facet of environmental devastation. In one world, parched lands are inhabited by human cyborgs, tirelessly laboring without end. In another, toxic waters have flooded the landscape, eradicating all living creatures, leaving only cyborgs attempting to cleanse the poisoned ocean. A third world presents an endless prison of pollution, where cyborgs are engaged in a futile attempt to vacuum away the contamination.

Through this collaboration, Central Department Store and our team aim to raise awareness among everyday consumers, encouraging them to reflect on their purchasing habits. It’s a significant step towards fostering consciousness about the impact of our consumption, and I believe it’s a promising beginning for meaningful change.

Working with Central has illuminated for me the profound impact art can have when it transcends the boundaries of the traditional art world. It underscores the power of art to provoke thought and inspire change in the broader public sphere.

I am engaged in an ongoing collaboration with MIT Media Lab researcher and AI/cyborg specialist Pat Pataranutaporn on our evolving  series, “Cyber Labour.” This important series delves into the intersection of technology and labor, exploring how advancements in artificial intelligence and digital technology are reshaping the future of work and the human experience within it.

One of my favorite pieces from this series, which premiered at The Asia Pacific Triennial, is “The Machine Ghost in the Human Shell.” In this work, I employed electric muscle stimulation, guided by GPT-4, to control my body while it communicated directly with me. This psychological experiment challenged my understanding of human identity by probing the tension between machine intelligence and the human mind.

The performance grapples with a fundamental question: As intelligent machines integrate with our consciousness, potentially becoming the source of our “souls,” do our physical bodies merely become vessels for these synthetic entities? The piece explores the possibility of intelligent machines evolving into new sentient beings, blurring the distinctions between “natural” and “artificial,” “human” and “machine.” By merging these opposites, might we be transforming into a transcendent new entity with altered perspectives and values?

In this work, as I experience the physical control and manipulation of the AI, I aim to resist its influence. I seek to experiment with this dynamic, striving to reclaim my sense of free will amidst the pervasive presence of machine intelligence.

How do you approach exhibiting your work? What are your goals when showing your art in public spaces?

These days, my projects often come to life through invitations as commissioned works for museums, institutions, or private organizations. However, my ideal vision is to exhibit my art in unique public spaces where I can engage directly with a broader audience. Art possesses tremendous power when it extends beyond the confines of the traditional art world.

By placing my work in everyday public environments—spaces people pass by, engage with, or conduct daily activities like shopping—I aim to raise awareness among the general public. These installations would seamlessly integrate into their routines, transforming familiar spaces into thought-provoking experiences. Whether it’s a busy street corner, a bustling shopping mall, or a community park, my goal is to make art an integral part of public consciousness, sparking reflection and dialogue in the midst of daily life.

Moreover, by embedding art in places where people naturally gather, I hope to challenge perceptions and inspire change in a way that’s both accessible and impactful, fostering a deeper connection between art and community.

What are your thoughts on the use of technology and digital platforms in the art world today?

As an artist, I believe it’s not just about the platforms or mediums we use but rather about utilizing all available tools—both technological and non-technological—to investigate, explore, and experiment. Artists should strive to seek out questions that haven’t been asked before in pursuit of new philosophical insights into the truth about humanity. Through AI technology, as demonstrated in the “Cyber Labour” series, I explore the essence of what it means to be human amidst the digital exorcism and manipulation of the mind. AI enhances my artistic practice by uncovering new meanings and provoking crucial questions about our evolving relationship with technology, such as whether we are dehumanizing ourselves by humanizing machines. This journey is about confronting and challenging the core of our human identity in a rapidly changing world.

What do you hope people take away from your art when they experience it?

When people engage with my art, I want them to leave with a deeper understanding of their role in the world. Through my work on exploitation and labor, as well as exploring the relationship between humanity and technology, I aim to challenge their perceptions and inspire critical thinking.

My art seeks to ignite conversations about human existence, the influence of technology, and the dynamics of labor. It encourages viewers to pause, reflect, and question the status quo, inviting them to reconsider what it means to be human in today’s rapidly changing world.

Ultimately, I hope my art empowers people to explore their beliefs, engage more consciously with the world, and contribute to building a more thoughtful and equitable future.

Text & photo courtesy of Kawita Vatanajyankur

Website: https://www.kawitav.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kawitavv