BANGKOK.- Tang Contemporary Art, Bangkok is currently presenting, since December 16th, “Orkys : HIMBAD Solo Exhibition”, curated by Michela Sena in its Bangkok space. "ORKYS - Breaking the boundaries between street and the white box" is the first solo exhibition from street artist HIMBAD with Tang Contemporary Art made in collaboratin with Ader Wu Art Advisory. The event will continue through January 28th, 2023.

Just like the orchids adapt to different environments, we find HIMBAD’s artworks spread around the most random locations!

An orchid in a deep forest sends out its fragrance even if no one is around to appreciate it. Confucious.

In the East the orchid represents perfection (for the symmetry of its petals with the stem) and purity, while in the West it’s related to love, for its ability to grow everywhere. “Orkys” is the scientific term for “orchid” and it's the title of the show, meticulously chosen by the artist, to best express the exhibition’s leitmotif and, at the same time, to render homage to his passion for botany.

Orchids appear, freshly and delicately, on the backgrounds of Himbad’s new series, where his typical supernatural creatures show their special powers. A bat, suspended upside down, is staring at us; from its open jaws, we can see the mysterious eyes of another entity. The same eyes show up from the huge and scary fauces of a feline monster. Orchids appear in the woods where a simple house fluctuates in the air, against the marvelous multilayered forest background, while a little cat interrupts the composition, surfing on a cloud.




Vegetative mutants, the orchids transform and re-generate in multiple ways, just as HIMBAD`s characters, mutant entities, symbols of the artist’s judicious selection of astounding variety. The scenes he creates are a compendium of graphic metamorphoses. They seem to be generated by a stream of pre-logical neuronal connections, drawn on a dream. Free from any predictive sketches, the artist lets the composition to self-generate, we perceive the freedom of happening in his canvas and the absence of rules limitation.

HIMBAD depicts a fantastic world, with a distinctive and unique aesthetic, unveiling an anthology of artistic inspiration which sources from a heritage of high culture, with references to mythology, poetry, literature and science.

Just like the orchids adapt to different environments, we find HIMBAD’s artworks spread around the most random locations. His paintings have been consecrated by appearing in real temples of art, such as: the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Tate Modern in London or MoMA New York, as well, in form of murals, on the walls of the most remote and unexpected places: Ibiza, Chiangmai, or New York.

Michela Sena

HIMBAD was born in 1983. He graduated from Central Saint Martins in the UK. Traces of his work can be found worldwide, including New York, Miami, London, the Ibiza islands, Berlin, the Middle East, Pakistan, Tokyo, Bangkok, Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, and Hangzhou.. You may find his works inadvertently. He dives into our archetypal mind and reaches deep into the subconscious. His inspirations came from his study of Celtic, Greek, and eastern mythology. He adds a touch of his unique humour into his works. He has been actively involved in graffiti art creation since his artwork was presented at the Tate Modern in London in 2015 and has yearly exhibitions worldwide. In addition to graffiti art, he has participated in several crossover projects, such as fashion and music.

Since its founding in Bangkok in 1997, Tang Contemporary Art has opened 7 spaces in Beijing, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Seoul to promote the development of experimental art in different regions. In the past 20 years, Tang Contemporary Art has organized groundbreaking exhibitions in its gallery spaces, and also cooperated with important art institutions in China and abroad to accomplish outstanding art projects. The gallery strives to initiate dialogue between artists, curators, collectors and institutions working both locally and internationally. A roster of groundbreaking exhibitions has earned Tang Contemporary Art internationally renowned recognition, establishing its status as a pioneer of the contemporary art scene in Asia.

As one of China’s most influential contemporary art platforms, Tang Contemporary Art maintains a high standard of exhibition programming. Tang Contemporary Art represents or collaborates with leading figures in international contemporary art, including Ai Weiwei, Huang Yongping, Shen Yuan, Zhu Jinshi, Chen Danqing, Liu Qinghe, Liu Xiaodong, Chen Shaoxiong, Wang Yuping, Shen Ling, Shen Liang, Wu Yi, Xia Xiaowan, He Duoling, Mao Xuhui, Wang Huangsheng, Yang Jiechang, Tan Ping, Wang Du，Yan Lei, Yue Minjun, Wang Jianwei, Yangjiang Group, Zheng Guogu, Lin Yilin, Sun Yuan&Peng Yu, Qin Ga, Wang Qingsong, Yin Zhaoyang, Feng Yan, Guo Wei, Chen Wenbo, Ling Jian, Qin Qi, Yang Yong, Peng Wei, He An, Zhao Zhao, Xu Qu, Chen Yujun, Chen Yufan, Xue Feng, Cai Lei, Li Qing, Wang Sishun, Xu Xiaoguo, Lí Wei, Liu Yujia, Wu Wei, Yang Bodu, You Yong, Li Erpeng, Jade Ching-yuk Ng, Michelangelo Pistoletto, Adel Abdessemed, Niki de Saint Phalle, AES+F , Michael Zelehosk, Jonas Burgert, Christian Lemmerz, Michael Kvium, Sakarin Krue-On, Rirkrit Tiravanija, Natee Utarit, Kitti Narod, Gongkan, Entang Wiharso, Heri Dono, Nam June Paik, Park Seungmo, Jae Yong Kim, Diren Lee, Dinh Q. Lê, Rodel Tapaya, Jigger Cruz, Ayka Go, Raffy Napay, H.H.Lim, Etsu Egami, etc.

Location: Room 201 - 206, River City Bangkok, 23 Soi Charoenkrung 24, Talad Noi, Sampantawong, Bangkok,