15 March 2026
copied
A new publication on Thai artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, co-published by MAIIAM, Art Jameel, and Press Works, launches with a public event at 100 Tonson Foundation in Bangkok on 15 March 2026.
Sunday, 15 March 2026 | From 5 PM onwards | 100 Tonson Foundation
MAIIAM Contemporary Art Museum and 100 Tonson Foundation are pleased to announce the launch of Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook: The Bouquet and the Wreath, a major new publication dedicated to the work of Thai artist Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook. Co-published by MAIIAM, Art Jameel, and Press Works, the book will be celebrated with a public event at 100 Tonson Foundation in Bangkok on 15 March 2026.
The evening will begin with a conversation between the book’s editor, Roger Nelson, and curator Kittima Chareeprasit, joined by Time Chotivilaivanit, who has worked closely with Araya for many years. Together, they will reflect on the development of the publication and share insights into the themes and perspectives that emerged through the process of assembling the book.
The program will conclude with a special reading performance by Grace Samboh, presenting her chapter The Nine-Day Pregnancy of a Single Middle-Aged Associate Professor: A Postscript. In this performative reading, Samboh translates one of Araya’s video works into a literary and auditory experience, extending the work beyond the visual field and inviting audiences to consider how the life of an artwork may continue through language, interpretation, and embodied narration.
Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook: The Bouquet and the Wreath offers an expansive and richly illustrated response to the artist’s multifaceted practice, with contributions from artists, curators, and scholars. Alongside critical examinations of Araya’s work in relation to Buddhist thought and global contemporary art histories, the publication also reflects on her significant contributions to art education in Thailand and her enduring impact across Southeast Asia and beyond.
For more than 45 years, Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook’s art has contemplated the tragedy and suffering of existence while cherishing the fragile nourishment offered by the companions of her life: grief, dogs, literature, flowers, memories, and a relentlessly mercurial, mischievous wit. Her whimsical yet sombre works invite audiences to dwell on profound philosophical questions: What is the purpose of art? What does it mean to be human? As the artist herself once quipped, “I don’t need to spell out everything that I feel, do I?”
The publication includes contributions by Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook, Heman Chong, Lawrence Chua, Kamin Lertchaiprasert, Ruba Katrib, Kawita Vatanajyankur, Kittima Chareeprasit, Luckana Kunavichayanont, Lucas Morin, Roger Nelson, Grace Samboh, and Sayan Daengklom.
The book is available at the MAIIAM Store in Chiang Mai and at 100 Tonson Foundation in Bangkok for 1,300 THB. Proceeds from copies purchased at the launch event and at the Foundation will be donated to “Ban Wang Mah” supporting Araya Rasdjarmrearnsook’s care for stray dogs and providing assistance to animal shelters as appropriate.
International readers can purchase copies through the Press Works online store.
MAIIAM would like to extend its sincere gratitude to Atty Tantivit and 100 Tonson Foundation for their generous support, without which this publication would not have been possible.
