In full bloom
Artist Akegaluck Sagaew decorates Central Embassy with floral foam sculptures
Central Department Stores celebrates 67 years of business later this month by turning its Chidlom branch into a floral fantasy with thousands of fresh flowers in full bloom and Central Embassy into an art gallery showcasing flower sculptures by Akegaluck Sagaew.
From Thursday through November 13, Akegaluck will present 17 sculptures crafted from ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) foam on the concept of “Life Creates Arts”.
The EVA foam varies in thickness from 2 millimetres and 2 centimetres and is cut into delicate curves. Each structure took about a week to complete and the tallest one is 3.40 metres.
“I spent a whole year preparing for this event. I did the sketches and a mock-up model to plan the layout though I improvise quite a lot in the actual work. Although my sketches are detailed and clear, sometimes the beauty right in front of me prompts me to add more,” says the Silpakorn University graduate.
Several assistants helped him in drawing the pattern on the material and in cutting the foam but when it comes to putting the sculpture together, the creation is all Akegaluck’s.
“I’m the person who knows best what should be where, or what should be added. This is one of the most challenging works I’d ever done, because they are round relief sculptures. I have to pay extra attention on how to twist and put the pieces together.”
Once completed, they are sprayed with white paint to play with light.
“The concept is nature, inspired by various times of the day from sunrise to sunset. White can work with many lights, so I had to think a lot about how to make it the most beautiful. Light and shadow change the way the sculptures look, so they can give off various moods.”
They also have no straight lines, only curves.
“I like curvy women – the celebration of beauty,” he laughs. “I like details. When I see a piece of art, I look at the details and think about the process.”
After graduating from Silpakorn University, Akegaluck began working in the fashion and advertising fields. He made props for the shoots, following his detail-oriented principles. Then he was invited to make backdrop for a friend’s wedding and his exceptional work caught the attention of several new clients.
“The wedding sculpture was more like an art piece. My friend drew me a rough sketch and I took it from there, using EVA. The flexibility of the material allows it to be cut and bent into various shapes, and it is also environment-friendly.”
An approach from major advertising firm Ogilvy and Mather Bangkok followed, and he was soon working on sculptures for a popup store to promote the products of cutting tools giant Olfa. The promotional campaign was later awarded the silver medal in the promo and activation category at the 2013 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity.
Making a large display of works inside the mall is a challenging task for him.
“With every project, I learn something new. When I was working on the advertising campaign, I thought my work should have a backdrop in dark tones so that the curves of the work could be highlighted. This time, it will be displayed in a spacious mall, seen from every angle and surrounded by high-end fashion boutiques. And it will be viewed from different angles.
“It is quite universal. It’s beautiful. Although it is a different interpretation of flowers, I believe people will like it,” Akegaluck says.
Flower power
_ The sculptures will be displayed from Thursday to November 13 at Central Embassy at the corner of Wireless and Ploenchit roads. It’s open daily from 10 to 10. Call (02) 793 7402.
