The Bouquet and the Wreath is the first major international survey of acclaimed Thai artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, on view at Jameel Arts Centre. Curated by Kittima Chareeprasit and Roger Nelson, the exhibition is part of a two-location presentation that began at MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum in Chiang Mai. Open until 8 March 2026, the show features works created over the past 45 years alongside new commissions and offers a poetic encounter with a practice shaped by intimacy and existential reflection.
At the core of the exhibition are recurring motifs, such as flowers, beds, words, and other gestures of care that bridge states of celebration and mourning, desire and loss. A bouquet might evoke moments of joy or friendship, while a wreath gestures toward tragedy and remembrance; beds appear as spaces for rest and romance, but also sites of sickness and death. Through this evocative language of symbols, Rasdjarmrearnsook invites visitors to contemplate life’s paradoxes and the porous boundaries between physical and emotional experience.
The displayed artworks span media including video, installation, performance, and sculpture, many of which have not been presented publicly in decades. These pieces articulate a lifelong engagement with philosophical questions about what it means to be human. They also delve into broader themes of identity, community, and the rituals through which we make sense of existence.
About the artist
Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook (b. 1957, Thailand), one of Southeast Asia’s most respected contemporary artists, lives and works in Chiang Mai. She obtained a BFA and an MFA from Silpakorn University (Bangkok, Thailand). Between 1988 and 1990, she received a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), through which she completed a diploma at the Hochschule für Bildende Künste Braunschweig (HBK Braunschweig) in Germany.
Trained in graphic art and sculpture, Rasdjarmrearnsook is best known for her video and installation work that often reflects on mortality, memory, and relationality. In her practice and teaching, she has also played a formative role in arts education in Thailand, pioneering interdisciplinary curricula and mentoring generations of artists.
Rasdjarmrearnsook has displayed her art pieces in many exhibitions, which include dOCUMENTA(13) (Kassel, Germany, 2012); the 17th Biennale of Sydney (Australia, 2010); the Gwangju Biennale (South Korea, 2006); and the 51st Venice Biennale (Italy, 2005), among others. Her work is held in esteemed collections worldwide, such as the Kiasma Museum of Contemporary Art (Helsinki, Finland) and Mori Art Museum (Tokyo, Japan).
To get more information about The Bouquet and the Wreath, please go to the official web page of the exhibition.
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