Natee Utarit – Optimism is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces

Ayala Museum and Richard Koh Fine Art with the support of the Royal Thai Embassy in Manila cordially invite you to Natee Utarit’s highly anticipated exhibition entitled Optimism is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces at Ayala Museum, Makati Avenue, corner de la Rosa Street, Makati City, Philippines 1224 from 17 February – 9 April 2017. The exhibition will feature 12 large-sized oil on canvas paintings. The opening reception will be held on the 17th of February, from 6 – 9 pm.

The exhibition is part of the artist’s Optimism is Ridiculous series, which began in 2012 and has been featured in various galleries in Asia. The Altarpieces is Utarit’s critique of Western modernism. It is a satire of modernism and capitalism, and tells of its seduction of local customs and traditions. Consisting of a total of 12 works, these works are composed of multiple panels forming a diptych, triptych, or polyptych, following the tradition of classical religious paintings with elaborate frames and settings.

Utarit’s interest in Western religious painting stems from his appropriative approach to classical art. “In my paintings here I offer an interpretation of the world and various beliefs that appear in the Western world from my own Asian perspective,” he says. Optimism Is Ridiculous: The Altarpieces is a traveling exhibition with Ayala Museum in Makati City, Philippines as its first stop. It is scheduled to coincide with the 2017 Art Fair Philippines. After its Manila run, the exhibition is scheduled to head on to Indonesia and Singapore.