Our man in New York has something to share
After years of promoting himself and trying to find funding, sculptor Banjerd Lekkong finally gets to show his works in the Big Apple
FOR MANY ARTISTS, a solo exhibition in a world-class gallery is an ultimate dream. For Thai artist Banjerd Lekkong, however, his recent exhibition in New York is just one of his goals.
“I guess many people would already be satisfied. But I will have my works exhibited in a museum one day,” says the sculptor, the determination clear in his voice.
Banjerd’s main goal is to become a world-class artist, and not just a “national artist”.
He dreamed of exhibiting his art pieces in an international gallery, and through his perseverance, finally made that dream come true. The show, “Metamorphosis: Banjerd Lekkong, a Solo Exhibition”, was held between May 20 and June 9 at the Agora Gallery in the Chelsea art district of New York City. The neighbourhood is home to some 200 art galleries.
With “Metamorphosis”, Banjerd became the first Thai artist to exhibit at the contemporary art gallery.
The show featured 15 of his unique steel sculptures in different sizes, including life-size depictions of the monkey god Hanuman and the demon king Tossakan from the national epic Ramakien. Other creations included characters drawn from Thai literature, culture and religious beliefs depicting Hindu gods such as the elephant-headed Ganesh.
Banjerd’s works are made of old car parts and used steel rods and plates. With these recycled materials, he makes lifeless objects become interestingly alive giving them attractive yet perplexing contours.
Hailing from Nakhon Ratchasima’s Phimai district, the artist said he fell in love with steel and Thai art at a young age – and decided to mix them together. His parents owned a garage business and he was quick to see the endless possibilities of turning car parts into art.
In 2003, he started creating artwork under the brand Lekkong Sculpture. Its prominent feature was the integration of steel frames and Thai-style art. His sculptures are so intricate and densely packed with information that they erase divisions between art, story and symbol.
His exhibition in New York was sponsored by Singha Park in Chiang Rai but first he had to go through Agora Gallery’s strict selection process. That’s because the gallery also acts as a broker between artists and buyers of art works. And so it tends to select collections of works that can sell, or its reputation will be at risk.
Banjerd says he spent just a few days completing his creations. A much longer time was spent designing and conceptualising the works, he adds.
A former designer of entertainment venues during the industry’s heyday almost 20 years ago, Banjerd saw his bright career grind to a halt when the government at that time imposed a social order policy on the industry and enforced strict closing times.
He later set up Lekkong Sculpture and has remained in business for 13 years, although he admits that the path has not always been smooth.
He dreamed of getting his creations displayed at an international gallery overseas but without financial support found it impossible.
Agora Gallery finally gave |him the green light for an exhibition but he had to find funding himself.
Eventually, the artist managed to get financial backing from Singha Park under its “taking Thai artists global” programme.
And unlike many artists who sneer at dealing with art brokers, Banjerd sees it as a good thing.
“It took me to a point that no Thai artist has ever been so it can’t be bad,” he points out.
