Artist presents hometown hues

Light, colour, space and emotion are all key elements in more than 30 landscape paintings that are being exhibited as part of the “Shiny Airy Freely” show at Fashion Gallery, 1st floor of Siam Paragon, until March 31.

It is a solo showcase of the works of Pongsatat “Dong” Uaiklang who examines the subtleties of color defined by sunlight — the soft glowing yellows-of-morning, the seething oranges and reds-of-afternoon, the cool blueish-pinks-and-purples-of-twilight.

His interpretation of the landscapes in the paintings is not only about the inherent colours of things but instead the constantly shifting light and shadows that exists in the space, where the paintings feel alive, fluid and vibrant compared to their palettes.

The artist focuses on the balance between negative space (the emptiness surrounding objects) and positive space (the tangible forms), and the movement of air and wind that forms the mood of a landscape.

We glimpse the landscapes of Soeng Sang, Nakhon Ratchasima where for five years the artist returned to shoot his hometown.

He painted straight from nature, experiencing the light, colours and atmosphere of each place before relaying them through his own artistic filter. At first his style is impressively affected, reflecting an Impressionist approach highlighting the transient effects of light and atmosphere.

As his work evolves over time, he moves towards Expressionism, with landscapes melting into bold outlines, liberated forms and passionate palette, so countryside becomes a mirror of his own inner landscape — his yearning, longing and ultimate catharsis.

His canvases are not merely documents of physical places; they are emotional impressions of moments in time. Viewers can feel in his strokes the openness, nostalgia and release embedded in each mark made with an intuitive and unrestrained hand.