BANGKOK — The striking images of Shakespeare’s Ophelia floating in a brook embraced by a Thai character from a Ramakien epic, and Jesus and his apostles in Da Vinci’s “The Last Supper” turned into Buddha and his disciples are recent collages by a graphic designer an upcoming Friday exhibition.

Literature, paintings, memories and faiths from different parts of the world interwoven in Nakrob Moonmanas’ 10 new works which will be shown in his first full-scale solo exhibition under the theme of “Sacrifice.”

“A lot of Thai and western literature alludes to stories in the past from Greek, Roman or Renaissance times,” said the 26-year-old graphic designer and illustrator. “For Thais, it’s treated as offering sacrifice to past artists which is similar to collage works that make something new out of the old.”

Nakrob, who graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in History from Chulalongkorn University, said he’s become interested in history and literature as it helps him understand the present.

Advertisement

“Not so many Thais know our roots and what our society consists of. Let alone 100 or 1,000 years, we don’t even know what happened in the recent decade,” said Nakrob.

Advertisement

“That’s why we don’t learn anything from the past and it blocks us from going further in the present. This affects art circles as well, as there’s such little sources of inspiration to accumulate,” he said.

The exhibition will launch Friday and run through July 30 at the People’s Gallery on the second floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre which can be reached from BTS National Stadium skywalk. The exhibition runs 9:30am until 9pm. It is closed on Mondays.

Nakrob Moonmanas’s “The Last Supper.” Photo: Nakrob Moonmanas/ Courtesy.