Katherine Jones, also known as Kat to her friends, is a 29 years old Bangkok-based Thai-British artist who has had a fulfilling life as an artist throughout Asia. She was born in Thailand but grew up in Singapore and Hong Kong, where she did most of her schooling. In 1998 she moved back to Bangkok. “At first I hated it here – mainly because I didn’t know anybody. Now, I can’t imagine living anywhere else,” she confessed.
She has done a variety of jobs in the past 11 years, from teaching kindergarten, to opening a casting agency, to managing a night club, and to managing an art studio. Currently she is Studio Manager at Attic Studios, a friendly art school in the heart of Bangkok on Sukhumvit Soi 31. Of course, all the while painting in her spare time.
Her love for art came early, but it was not met with enthusiasm by her family: “Try telling your parents you want to be an artist! It was not always met with a positive reaction – ‘An artist! You want to be poor?’” But, eventually, her mother learned to respect her determination and, probably, got used to Kat’s stubbornness.
Katherine was accepted into numerous art schools in the UK and USA, but due to financial reasons, she could not go. A few years ago she studied interior design here in Bangkok. “It was great being back at school and learning a new craft, but in the end I realised that it wasn’t for me and my passion lies in the fine arts,” she admitted. This is why she is not making buckets loads of money designing interiors!
Speaking of her job and passion, Kat surprised me by saying: “It’s still strange for me to call myself an artist. I don’t know if I really qualify. I don’t believe I’ll ever be done learning. I have always known I would do something in the visual arts field. Art has always been something I loved and knew I was good at – while always striving to be better.”
While most artists that I’ve spoken to were thrilled by thoughts of solo exhibitions, for Katherine, the idea of having an exhibition used to be “a complete turn off.” As she wasn’t impressed with contemporary art critics and didn’t want to expose herself to their judgments, she used to think: “What gives me the right to show my work when I don’t even know if I know what I’m doing?”
Nevertheless, in September 2009 she had her first public solo exhibition in Bangkok. Before that she had only sold pieces through private viewings. She exhibited in Tapas Cafe and Bar on Sukhumvit Soi 11. “I didn’t invite the press or advertise it much at all. It went well. A good number of people turned up and I sold a couple of pieces. I found I was exhausted by 9 pm. I don’t think I have spoken so much gibberish in my life. The paintings have all come down now and I’m working on a new collection.” She doesn’t know yet if and where she is going to exhibit them.
Nowadays, Katherine Jones paints abstract pieces but when she is stuck and looking for inspiration or just needs to create something, she will paint or draw portraits. “I find absolute joy in both these genres. The human face is so subtle in its differences and I love that,” she added. “I enjoy the challenge.” Her love of abstract work comes from the freedom of it and her fascination with accidental detail and texture. “Some of my favourite pieces were done with very little planning. I spend a lot of time with composition and colour and finding harmonious relationships between the two,” said Kat speaking of her signature stroke. As far as her style is concerned, Katherine isn’t really sure: “I just paint and don’t take it all too seriously. It is my passion but I have no desire to sit around and analyse it all day long.”
Katherine has been working at Attic Studios for almost two years now, since it opened. The studio is owned by a good friend of Kat’s, artist Elsie Evans. She has known Elsie for almost ten years but they only got the opportunity to work together in 2008. Besides taking care of the day to day running of the studio, Kat also teaches kids art on Saturdays and after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays. “Attic Studios is a great space for artists and aspiring artists alike. The social scene at the studio is wild as well. There’s never a dull moment!” Having participated to some of the events organised by Attic, I second that!
Speaking of the farang artist scene in Bangkok, this is what Kat had to say: “I don’t want to be critical, but I think it can be a bit too easy for expats with time and money, but at the same time under-appreciated. It’s a strange scene. There are many foreign artists who have lived and worked here for years and their art is well known and respected. There are others who really don’t deserve the attention they get, or the arrogance they exude.” She remembers meeting an art critic who called a well known foreign female artist in Bangkok “a bored house wife” and Kat had to hold her tongue to avoid ripping him apart for his arrogance.
But, at the end of the day, artist or not, we all have to make a living. In Kat’s opinion, one cannot make enough money just by selling art in Bangkok. “It’s a fickle trade, it’s never a constant. I’d get a day job if I were you. But really, that sort of thing depends on what kind of artist you are and if you’re willing to branch out and do more commercial work. If you’re too high and mighty about your art, and insist on charging 200 thousand baht for every piece, you’re in the wrong market,” concluded Katherine.
She admitted that she has never had a favourite artist because trying to pick a favourite artist is one of those impossible missions like choosing a favourite song. “If I had only ever heard three songs in my life, I could tell you,” said Kat smiling. She has met a few Thai artists but only in passing and at exhibitions. “We have a Thai artist working at Attic Studios, Weerasak Booncher. He’s a great addition to the Attic family and a very talented painter.”
For Kat, traditional Thai art isn’t really her cup of tea, but she admits that it can be quite beautiful to look at: “Like most traditional or religious Asian art, there are a lot of rules that dictate what a painting has to comprise of and how it has to look. So there is not much freedom in it, but a great lot of discipline. On the other side, Thai contemporary art has branched out wonderfully over the years and I’m seeing more and more work that I can really enjoy.” Still, she needs to find more time to get into the galleries! “I feel so guilty when I don’t,” she confessed.
As mentioned before, artists need to make end’s meet so they must be willing to branch out. “There is a market, but it has its ebbs and flows. The majority of art is bought by expats, tourists, decorators and wealthy Thais,” Kat gave her inside look into the problem. She too has been approached by interior decorators and home furnishing companies about supplying art for their projects and to their clients, so there’s definitely a market. “I just don’t think art is accessible to the majority of the population. It is a luxury good. Many schools in Thailand don’t even have art on their curriculum, which is a shame. Art is not supposed to be about consumerism. It should be enough to view it and appreciate it.”
I have met people who said to me that the Thai art scene is non-existent, but Katharine believes this situation couldn’t be further from the truth. The truth is that the art scene in Thailand has progressed in leaps and bounds and has found an audience internationally, with Thai art having been represented at the Venice Bienniale, along with other international biennials and triennials. “Thai artists are expressing themselves more freely, even concerning politics, and exploring techniques and genres outside the traditional.” It may not be as in-your-face as other major cities in the world – and if it is, it’s often touristy souvenirs or cheap copies – but it’s here if you bother to seek it out.
Katherine Jones is a woman with a strong personality, so I wanted to put that to the test by asking her why there are no easily recognizable female painter icons, while almost all the famous artists in the world are male. Her reply came with no hesitation: “For the same reason any woman has to compete in any career they pursue. Men have had a head start. People can argue that fact, I suppose, but when the big art movements came about, women were still trying to find their foothold in society! So, when did they have the time to invent impressionism? If women had always had the same rights and freedoms as men, then it would be a different story. Women are catching up on hundreds of years of being forced to live as secondary citizens. Today, there is by no means a shortage of female artists, doing great work, but the only artists the majority of the population can name are the dead guys.”
Until we can go to Katherine’s next exhibition, you can check out her work on her blog. She is also available for commissions. You can order a hand drawn or painted illustration or an abstract paintings in oil, acrylic, and mixed media.
(Initially published in ‘Bangkok Trader’ – Vol. 4, No. 10, September 2010)
