New Ecologies is the first of what is expected to become an annual exhibition and festival of visual arts and related events in Pattaya. Curated by Bangkok-based art critic Brian Curtin in conjunction with Pattaya's Gallery Opium, the exhibition will present the contemporary works of a wide range of expatriate and local artists over a three-month season at the Sheraton Pattaya Resort which has been specially chosen as the backdrop to the event because of its abundant nature, ocean-side setting and refined contemporary design.

Besides the exhibition, also included in the program is a series of art workshops and events organized by emergent curator Manipa Jayawan and involving over twenty artists.
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New Ecologies has a number of aims. - The exhibition will highlight the diversity and quality of visual art being produced within Thailand. It also aspires to give visibility to artists who may be overlooked by other high-profile exhibitions of artists who live here. However, the primary objective of the organizers is to impact the cultural life of Pattaya with contemporary art. As such, the tone of New Ecologies will be up-beat, positive and celebratory.

"Globalisation, rapid development, capitalization, cultural identity, indigenous traditions, local values, trans-national influences, political instability - such terms really define what it means to live in Thailand today", says Brian. "And with its longstanding status as a tourist and expatriate hub and generally advanced commercial development, the city of Pattaya is an especially good place to see all these factors in play. New Ecologies is our opportunity to look at all this a little askew or from an oblique point of view and so challenge our perceptions of what is really going on. As such, it promises to be a major event which is bound to be repeated."

The Sheraton Pattaya Resort provides a remarkable context for the viewing of contemporary art. Nestling a picturesque cliffside overlooking the ocean south of Pattaya, its merging of traditional and contemporary Thai and Western architectural styles with abundant nature gives art lovers the opportunity to appreciate the works on display in a complementary atmosphere with complete comfort.

Participating Artists:
Simona Ambrosini Benetti was born in Milan and studied monumental sculpture under Yves Guerin in France. In 2005 she opened an atelier in Auvergne and produced work influenced by Arte Provera. Since 2006 Simona has been based in Asia and has been working with different metals and oxidations while studying the effects of light on surfaces. An engagement with Asiatic spirituality marks her current work.
Bill Berry is a native of New Orleans and better known as BopBagBill. His character BopBagBill was developed after Hurricane Katrina and in response to the Federal Government's lack of effort in dealing with this natural disaster, a disaster that brought questions of water shortage and class struggle for the city of New Orleans. Bill Berry received his MFA from the University of California at Davis.
Apinun Budsrakomvisi was born in 1971 and is a graduate of the College of Fine Art and a Rajamangala Institute of Technology. He holds a MA in Thai Art and exhibits extensively, most recently as part of the Chonburi International Art Festival at the Eastern Center of Art and Culture.
Michael Croft is a British artist who graduated from the Royal College of Art in London in 1985. After spending a few weeks as an artist-in-residence at Chiang Mai University Fine Art Faculty in 1994/95, sponsored by the British Council in Thailand, Michael decided to move to live and work in Thailand. For the past ten years he has been teaching art and design to Thai students and, often in such ways as directly supporting his teaching, pursuing his own creative and academic interests.
Paul De Blieck was born in Brugge, Belgium, and is a self taught artist. Since 1987 he has been living in Asia, mainly in Thailand. When he paints he usually doesn't plan exactly what he wants to paint. He lets his imagination wander and just sees where it leads him. His compositions reveal much imagination with explosions of colors that draws the viewer to focus their attention on his exciting pieces of work.
Thomas Donaldson gained his MA from the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK, gaining a distinction in painting and a British Academy AHRB research grant. As a practicing artist Thomas is committed to a rigorous development and re-evaluation of his practice that is marked by a willingness to turn around his thinking during development. This gives his work an excitement and flair supported by rigorous execution and has led to him receiving many commissions and exhibitions both nationally and internationally. Thomas is currently the Academic Director of Raffles College of Design & Commerce in Bangkok.
Cheksant Gangakate is a Thai-American who was born in Bangkok. He was based in the US for a number of years and has lived, studied and worked in Texas, Nebraska and San Francisco. He holds a BFA in Fine Art and Graphic Art and Cheksant gained a number of awards and recognitions while in the US. His paintings typically have an unconventional texture, built up with mixed media. Most recently he has begun to embrace a variety of methods, crossing painting with print and other media. Cheksant is a full time lecturer for the Communication Design Program at King Mongkutt University of Technology at Thonburi.
Friedrich Geiler was born in Bühl, Germany in 1946. Today he lives and works in Kehl on the Rhine and belongs to the leading concrete-constructive artists. In the beginning of the seventies Geiler celebrated his first international success. Since then he has shown his oeuvres in more than 100 exhibitions, amongst others in Amsterdam, Basel, Hong Kong, Miami, New York, Paris and Zurich.
Graham Hiskett was born in St. Albans, England. He studied at the London College of Print from 1962 to 1969 and after extensive travel began his own art, design and photography studio in 1970. After retirement in 2003, Graham studied fine art in Hertfordshire and graduated with a BA. Since 2004 he has lived in Thailand and produces artworks for exhibition internationally. Graham recently began experimenting with digital media.
Jung-Chul Hur was born in Masan, Korea in 1972. He did his BFA in Industrial Design at Konkuk University in Korea from where he went on to complete an MA in Visual Communication at the Kent Institute of Art & Design, UK, between 1999 and 2000. His work, which encompasses video, animation, sound, illustration and book art has been shown at over 80 international festivals and galleries and on TV stations in Asia, Europe, and South and North America. Jung is currently based in Bangkok where he teaches Communication Design at the School of Architecture & Design, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi.
Jieng Sae Jern was born in the Hunan region of China. His family fled to Thailand to seek freedom from the revolution and from 1985 to 1988 Jieng studied Chinese calligraphy with Han Hong Ming in Guangzhou.
Ralph Kiggell came out to East Asia more than 20 years ago. He initially studied Chinese in Beijing, then worked in Kunming and in Hong Kong. In 1990, Ralph went to Japan to pursue his interest in woodblock printing. He worked and studied there before receiving a Japanese government scholarship to complete an MFA at Tama Art University in Tokyo. Ralph first came to Thailand in 2000 on a year's residency at Bangkok University.
Brendan Linane is of Irish/British descent and studied at St. Martin's School of Art during the school's most famous period in the 70s. He has traveled extensively in Asia and lived for a time in Japan. Brendan is a regular visitor to Thailand where he has been working on his remarkable series of photographs of motorcycles.
Bernd Lippert was born in Germany and has won many prestigious awards for his photography. He has worked with such companies as Chanel, Joop, Becks and Unilever. Bernd is now based in Thailand and works in a variety of media inspired by personal experience.
Ches Mills holds an MA in visual arts from Australia's Monash University. She has traveled and exhibited her artworks extensively. Of her paintings in New Ecologies, Ches says they are, "…a reaction against the 'uglier side' of Pattaya and are a celebration of the rich, beautiful tropical environment and halcyon days that typifies ones image of Thailand. Internationally, Thailand evokes images of blue skies, tropical rainforests and white, sandy palm fringed beaches. But in this rapidly developing world Thailand has to carefully balance the benefits of tourism and economic growth and yet still maintain a sense of this tropical paradise that the world admires and expects".
Be Takerng Pattanopas is an artist and academic based in Bangkok, where he lectures in the Faculty of Architecture of Chulalongkorn University. He holds a PhD, exhibits internationally and runs Mor Mor Creative Forum, an initiative that showcases emerging creative talents in non-commercial contexts. Be Takerng is represented by Catherine Schubert Fine Art and has a forthcoming show in Brussels.
Nigel Power is British-born, Bangkok-based artist, designer and academic. He currently leads the MfA in Communication Design at School of Architecture and Design, King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi.
Pratya Raktabutr completed post-graduate studies at the Australian National University in 2001. Since then he has been developing his practice in functional and non-functional ceramics through studio work, commissions, and teaching.
Joanna Ransome is an artist who uses a multitude of media including painting, printmaking, wood relief, photography and sculpture. Joanna enjoys working in the landscape, the urban environment and with conceptual themes. She enjoys the challenges associated with global issues in our micro and macro world. Her style is personal in response, expressive and engaging with the emotions, employing a minimalist approach to her subject.
Alan Kirkland-Roath, born in Britain, worked in the gaming business in the UK and other parts of the world for over 30 years. However, he has been making art since an early age. Entirely self taught, Alan's influences come from Monet, Renoir, Manet, Morisot and Cezanne. His watercolor's capture a likeness and mood of the moment and portray a strong distinctive style, making his penchant for light collectable throughout the world. Portrait, figurative and horse racing themes are but a few of his many subjects.
Xi Shang was born in Sichuan province in China and graduated from the Normal University of Yunnan. He has exhibited extensively.
Chompu Sae-Tae was born in 1971 and is a graduate of the College of Fine Art. The artist has worked extensively in the field of art since graduation.
Pat Savage is a graduate of Goldsmiths and the Royal College of Art in London. She has worked in sculpture and as a book illustrator for the BBC. Pat's prints have been exhibited internationally and are held in private collections in Australia, the USA and Europe. Pat has been based in Pattaya since 2006.
Sarah Sutro is an artist and poet. Her work has been shown internationally in Thailand, England, Montenegro, Serbia, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, and the U.S. over the past 30 years. She has had several group and solo exhibits in Bangkok over the past few years. Sarah has taught on three continents and has been artist in residence at leading art institutions.
Sudruke Utayophas was born in 1975 and holds a MA in art education from Burapha University. The artist has won a number of important awards, and shown in exhibitions throughout the country.
Ingrid Van der Heyden was born in Belgium and is currently based in Jomtien, Pattaya. She studied art in Belgium, the USA and China. In China, Ingrid studied traditional Chinese painting with Mr. Gao Xingkui of Shanghai. She exhibits regularly in Thailand, including a 2007 solo show at Gallery Opium.
Sujin Wattanawongchai is based in Bangkok. After returning from the US with a MFA in 2004, Sujin has held 3 solo exhibitions with H Gallery in Bangkok. He works as a part-time lecturer at Mahidol University's International College and Assumption University.
Pornpraseart Yamazaki is a Bangkok-based artist. He holds a MA in Thai art from Silpakorn University and received a scholarship to attend the Vermont Studio Center in 2000. Pornpraseart recently exhibited at Whitespace Gallery, as part of the More To Love project and at Pra Dib art restaurant.