It has been approximately 6 years since Utarit embarked on this 5-part series, paying homage to the 5 different genres of Western painting. This exhibition marks the 4th of the series. It began with Samlee & Co. The Absolutely Fabulous Show in 2016 (the genre of Portraiture), followed by It Would Be Silly to Be Jealous of a Flower in 2017 (Still-Life), View from the Tower in 2018 (Landscape), and the upcoming Every day, Every Day I have the Blues (Everyday Life).
In this series, Utarit tackles the genre of the everyday life, but as we are acutely aware, the everyday has drastically changed, perhaps, forever. In this body of works, viewers are presented with scenes of the artist’s studio environment during the movement controls and also depiction of people whom have crossed paths with him just before the pandemic started.
There is a strong sense of longing in the manner which Utarit presents his composition and narrative. Mundane as it seems, this body of works fundamentally represents a commemoration of normality, and provides a reminder of the things that we have lost and taken for granted before the pandemic. It is only when something is lost, do we realize its true value. As Utarit explains, “The paintings in this 4th part series are to me, my views as it is aided plainly by my human and inner eye. They come alive via the simple visual process. As normality becomes invaluable, the simplicity in painting becomes in tandemly meaning ful. It is a simplicity that reflects serenity and peace in the hopes of regaining a sense of normality.”
