Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West

The Private Museum Singapore is pleased to present Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West, an evocative exhibition featuring the works of renowned Thai artist Natee Utarit. In continuation of the first exhibition at Silpakorn University in 2022 commemorating the artist’s return to his alma mater, this historic exhibition now journeys to Singapore, bringing with it a new myriad of selections from local and regional private collections.

Initiated in 2019, the Déjà vu series proposes an alternative interpretation of history by reframing Western classical knowledge alongside Eastern and Buddhist concepts. This exhibition presents a hypothesis of a reimagined space and time, encouraging the audience to consider scenarios of “what if”—how different historical events might have altered our socio-cultural present. The Déjà vdu series draws inspiration from the artist’s experience in Naples, where a chance encounter with a marble sculpture at the Museo Archeologico sparked a profound connection. This moment of Déjà vu merged memories of Thailand’s Walking Buddha with the classical Western figure, leading the artist to probe further into the intersections between Eastern and Western cultures.

Natee Utarit’s exploration through the series is deeply personal, yet it resonates with universal themes of memory, identity, and culture. Through a diverse array of mediums—including painting, sculpture, embroidery, stained glass, and woodcut—the works serve as a reminder that history is not linear, but cyclical; that the past, present, and future are constantly intertwined in ways that shape our perceptions of the world. By challenging the boundaries of historical plausibility, the exhibition offers viewers a space to consider the possibilities that emerge when traditional narratives are turned on their heads, symbolically represented by the paradoxical notion of the sun rising in the west.

Déjà vu: When the Sun Rises in the West is the final instalment of The Private Museum’s 2024 programming—offering a fitting closure to a year of diverse artistic and cultural exploration. The exhibition is presented in collaboration with Richard Koh Fine Art.