Coercion

Coercion (n.) (/kəʊˈəːʃ(ə)n/) – the action or practice of persuading someone to do something by using force or threats.

After four years work, Kittisak Kaewduk finally brings us Coercion, a sculpture exhibition, the result of his ongoing art project which began in 2014. Its development coincides with his career as an art teacher at the new Fine and Applied Arts department of Nakhon Sawan Rajabhat University. Facing the challenge of creating an effective art curriculum under the Quality Assurance in Higher Education guidelines, Kaewduk started to question its use of the same criteria to regulate all academic departments, without considering the unique nature and purpose of each program.

This dissatisfaction is the grounding of Coercion, a series of sculpture works in metal and wooden forms. In this series, Kaewduk explores Thai art education through his artistic creativity. The pressure from the rigid rules and old-fashioned education system is ingeniously represented through stiff and rusty discarded metal instruments, restructured to act as a tool to compress, clench and secure. Beautiful natural wood is juxtaposed against standard plywood to challenge opinions and perceptions. The remarkable illusion of matter shifting from solid to liquid, a signature of Kaewduk’s works, signifies an individual’s state of mind.

In this exhibition, through the symbolic use of artistic forms, viewers are encouraged to feel and recognize the signs of repression, in relation to their personal situation.

The exhibition “Coercion” will be held on the first, second and third floor of Gallery Bldg., SAC Gallery from 6 October until 18 November 2018. The official opening ceremony will be held on 6 October 2018, 6:00PM onwards.