There is a quiet pleasure in Udomsak Krisanamis’s work that defies words. Standing before it, you find yourself drawn into a world where colour, rhythm, and materials resonate with one another in unexpected ways.
Based in Thailand and exhibiting internationally, Udomsak Krisanamis has developed a distinctive practice that moves fluidly between abstract painting and collage. Incorporating everyday materials such as newspaper, glass noodles, yoga mats, and plywood, his works balance chance and careful composition, earning recognition at museums and galleries around the world. Open to each viewer’s own memories and perceptions, his art transcends cultural boundaries and speaks to audiences across generations.
In this interview, Udomsak reflects on the driving force behind his practice, his approach to making art, and his message to visitors of Tokyo Gendai. Through his characteristically direct and unpretentious words, we invite you to discover the philosophy that shapes his work and the unique appeal of his artistic vision.
How would you describe your artistic practice to someone encountering your work for the first time?
My works are universal language. They will enjoy them.
We understand that when you moved to the US in the 1990s, your iconic, beautifully dark grid paintings emerged from your process of learning English—specifically by blacking out words you already knew in newspapers. How did this personal, everyday experience of navigating a new language, which sits entirely outside the conventional framework of fine art, transform into the visual language of your abstract paintings?
I am inspired by everything. I change my works every second.
Your work masterfully coexists paint with unexpected, everyday materials—such as glass noodles, yoga mats, and more recently, plywood. When interacting with these found objects, what are the exact moments or experiences that spark your ideas for collage and ignite your visual inspiration?
I dream the painting and I paint my dream.
In your recent global projects, including your 2024 solo exhibition light my way in Berlin and your 2025 exhibition Toi et moi in Paris, the colors and rhythms strongly evoke musical improvisation. Given that you frequently title your works after your favorite song titles, how do “music” and “painting” resonate with each other on your canvas today?
everything is music
Tokyo Gendai is a dynamic crossroads where diverse energies, audiences, and collectors intersect. What kind of message, or perhaps what particular perspective of experiencing your work, would you like to share with the domestic and international visitors gathering at the fair, as well as the broader Japanese art scene?
Go home , start making art.
Thank you very much! We look forward to seeing your work in September.
Beyond words, encounter color and rhythm. Experience Udomsak Krisanamis’s work in person.
Dates:
11-13 September 2026 (Fri-Sun) *Vernissage: 10 September (Thu)
Venue:
Pacifico Yokohama
Booth:
GALLERY SIDE 2
Ticket Purchase:
Udomsak Krisanamis
Udomsak Krisanamis (b.1966) lives and works in Chiang Mai, Thailand. His works consist of paintings and sculptures, deriving abstract images from everyday life objects. Those objects, such as newspaper, table tennis, record jackets, chess tables, noodles, are not only his inspiration but also often included in the work as mixed media. He has completed BA at Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand, then moved to the US, has received MFA in painting at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago.
