Art Detail | Ilham Gallery
ILHAM COLLECTION
Secret of Love No. 3
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Thanathorn Suppakijjumnong
Secret of Love No. 3
2017

The Secret of Love series features portraits made of folded tiny pieces of paper arranged to replicate the artist’s self-portraits and family photographs. Created with a diverse mix of ink ribbons, the pieces of paper present a variety of tones and values, and on each piece, the artist places typewritten words of wisdom, passed down through generations in her family. Although unspecified, this particular artwork appears to be a self-portrait of the artist as a child, or perhaps it is an image of a younger sibling.
Details
Medium:
Typing on paper, folded paper on canvas frame
Dimension:
120 x 90 cm
Date:
2017
Credit Line:
Collection of ILHAM Foundation
Copyright:
© Thanathorn Suppakijjumnong
About Thanathorn Suppakijjumnong

Thanathorn was born in 1992 in Khon Kaen province, Thailand. She graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Printmaking from Mahasarakham University and earned a Master’s of Fine Art in Printmaking from The Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University. During her master’s degree, Thanathorn developed a printmaking technique with typewriters, the tools with which she had long been familiar because her family used to run a typing school. Her work has won many major awards in Thailand, such as the “Bring Good Things to Life” Toshiba Art Awards (2015) and the annual “The White Elephant Art Award” (2016)
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Further Readings

Learning Section

This series of work entails a collection of portraits made with tiny folded pieces of papers resembling the artist’s self-portraits and family photographs. On each piece of paper are typewritten words of wisdom, passed down through generations in her family.

  • In your opinion, what is the artist trying to convey through her artwork? How does it make you feel? 

  • By looking at this specific portrait which either depicts the artist’s younger self or a younger sibling, what does it tell you about the artist and/or her family?

  • What do you think is the significance of portraiture in art? What does the typewritten words in the artwork signify? And how does the combination of portraiture and the written word relate to the notion of identity? 

  • Even though the work reflects the artist’s personal life, artworks are subjective and mean different things to different audiences. After this discussion, what does this artwork mean to you? 


Activity

  • Using different materials, try creating a self-portrait collage that best represents your identity. Do the same for other family members to create your own series of work. 

  • Art, much like the artist’s family’s words of wisdom, transcends time. Send a piece of your current self into the future with a mini time capsule. In an envelope/box, include:

    • Your finalized self-portrait and/or a printed selfie. Add family photographs as well! 

    • Add a letter detailing who you are at the time of writing and some words of wisdom of your own. You can also include any recollections of fond memories or details of your family. 
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