This 'V' is for visuals

Bangkok looks set to grow its own “art district”, like M50 in Shanghai and creative communes in other cities around the world. A big disused warehouse on Vibhavadi Soi 64 is now home to the V64 Art Studio.

The place is now jammed with paintings, sculpture, ceramics and designer furniture, much of its arranged for browsing and tagged for buying.

Sixty Thai and foreign artists who’d been sharing Section 7 at Chatuchak Weekend Market decided this was the next logical step in building a Bangkok art community.

Set to open officially on November 11, V64 is so far a peaceful place to get some work done and share ideas and inspiration.

Visitors saunter around, picturing the figurines on their shelf at home and deciding which emerging canvas is a masterpiece-in-progress. Workshops are already being held.

The site is a three-rai park with a large two-storey structure that was colourful enough to begin with without all the funky graffiti. Inside there’s a big kiln, outside a showcase for sculptures.

“We want to prove that art is a stable career choice, in which you can earn a lot of money,” says co-founder Kitti Narod. “Some of us have exhibited in the art districts in other countries, and we’ve based our concept on the well-known ones like M50 and 798 in Shanghai and Beijing.”

The second floor is the V64 Art Academy’s creative playground. They’re holding classes in art and music for all ages, charging Bt2,900 to Bt8,000 depending on the subject and materials required.

On the ground floor is a cafe that serves aromatic coffees and quick appetisers for Bt25 to Bt80.

Next to that is a smaller enclosed gallery hosting a temporary exhibition of students’ cute drawings and papier-mache creations. On Sundays there are free workshops for youngsters in collage and other techniques.

The work area itself has three zones with 35 studios. The first zone has the master “drawing room”, where veterans Chingchai Jaroenudomkij and Virasak Fongrith preside over vivid paintings of nature subjects, particularly elephants.

Narate Kathong does beautiful impressionist renderings of landscapes. Pimviphak Yarmsirasuwan, Pila Pansumrit and Monsicha Pansup portray women and their lifestyles in the pop-art manner.

Paitoon Jumee’s studio is filling up with monotone impressionist paintings that stand out for their smooth brushwork. Nitichai Chaiyasan and Mongkut Krachangtoy depict busy Yaowarat district in remarkable abstracts.

Zone B includes the studio of pop artist Pansa Panluksa, who incorporates photographs into his paintings of whatever he sees around him. And a young artist named Tam paints flowers and animals on old pieces of zinc for an intriguing effect.

Rassamee and Alongkot In-art work in mixed media, most recently constructing a human face that reflects bygone days. Aranya Khunchonwuttichai and Padungpol Rinkum specialise in pop graffiti with portraits of women who display quite singular characters.

Zone D finds Worawit Laokwasathit and his family making luxuriant paintings of rural life and nature scenes. Soontree Hirunyanant and Amporn Sangon offer three-dimensional floral canvases.

Saward Hansupo pursues a Thai form of pop art in simple, warm views of his hometown. Kitti Narod’s space is stocked with abstract works built with dynamic strokes.

Though it’s not called Zone C, there’s a fourth area outside. It’s an array of sculptures and furniture in different styles by Gwyn Faenol, Paul De Blieck, Worawith Chortubtim, Pera Pongchompo, Pajuab Jujaraun, Athima Tongloom, Onsicha Poonmonkolkit and Suntud Kaewudom.  

There’s even a souvenir shop where you can buy T-shirts silk-screened with the resident artists’ work.

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V64 is at 143/19 Soi Vibhavadi 64. It’s open daily from 10am to 8pm. Find out more at (02) 973 2681-2 or (084) 663 1831, or online at www.V64ArtStudio.com or “V64art” on Facebook.
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