THE MAP: A Survey of Works on Paper by Kade Javanalikhikara is an art exhibition retold by Haisang Javanalikhikara, his daughter.
Kade Javanalikhikara (Artist) (2024) by Art4CFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Kade Javanalikhikara is as much an artist as he is a mentor. The Map: A Survey of Works on Paper by Kade Javanalikhikara showcases somewhat unseen works on paper that Kade had been working on working on for 31 years while he was both a lecturer and an artist.
Some of these works coexist alongside his ‘main’ artistic practice, whereas others can be credited as their own studies. They reveal fragments of his ideas, observations, and experimental approaches.
This text you are reading is merely a retold version of my experiences toward Kade's mapping journey.
I have known my father’s works before I understood art, let alone any notions, theories, and skills about it. I knew what is identified as artwork, and I never had any questions about it. As I grew up, I got a better grasp of art bit by bit.
Being in the art field has never been my intention, but here I am, a curator and an academic in art. I guess being an artist’s daughter has shaped my appreciation of art and life in a philosophical way. Although this exhibition is not about me, but by revisiting my experience with Kade’s works shows how this exhibition came to be and the foundation of my perception of art."
Educated in Painting and Drawing at the University of North Texas in the 1980s, it was a time when the art scene there had become more diverse, embracing new forms of artistic expression. After his graduation, Kade returned to Thailand and settled in
Chiang Mai,
where he has been living and working at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University, ever since. At that time, the Chiang Mai art scene was just starting to bloom, and he has been one of its early contributors, along with his colleagues and students.
Although Kade is known for his abstract paintings, he began investigating mixed-media art in the late '80s to early ‘90s, which personally, I reckon he has been overlooked in Thai art history in terms of conceptual and mixed-media art.
The Map Exhibition at Art4C (2024) by Art4CFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Snooppy, The Map Exhibition 01 (2024) by Art4CFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
This exhibition retold by Haisang Javanalikhikara
The Turtle and the Rabbit, The Map Exhibition (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
The earliest works in The Map start from 1990, aligning with The Turtle and the Rabbit (1991) and Brown Trees, Brown Air, Brown Ocean, and Dirty Automobile (1993) series.
The concepts behind both series show intuition and intellect in his view of the world. I remember his explanation behind "The Turtle and the Rabbit" that stuck with me. He said in the story
‘The Tortoise and the Hare,’ maybe the tortoise didn’t win.
It depended on how you define winning. The hare may have lost the competition due to its carelessness, but at the end of the day, the hare got to experience life and took time to see its surroundings. At that time, I was 4-5 years old. I only thought it was a cool idea, but looking back now, I realise how humble this man is."
Brown Trees, Brown Air, Brown Ocean, and Dirty Automobile, The Map Exhibition (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Brown Trees, Brown Air, Brown Ocean, and Dirty Automobile
is a very crucial series and shows the artist’s critical aspect towards globalisation. Kade has always been concerned with environmental issues since the beginning of his practice, and this concern has continued to show in his later work.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 11 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
However, as he has always been a man of few words, his works have not been recognised as much in this context In the ‘90s, in this and other series like Sad Dog (1995), Back Against the Wall (1998), Ampur Mae Tang, Chiang Mai (1999),
Kade pointed out how technology, seemingly bringing people together, can cause communication setbacks and somehow drift people apart. His awareness of this was ahead of its time and is still valid, especially today.
Starting in the millennium, with news and paranoia about the world ending when the clock reset the year to 00, Kade continued his reflection on globalisation in subtle ways.
In 2002, he and several of his colleagues/friends initiated evening classes for art enthusiasts who didn’t have an art background, teaching art as well as anything he could. These classes were taught under a project called Hell University - “some knowledge seems to have an explanation but could only be perceived by an opening and extension of mind.”
Hell University, The Map Exhibition by Kade Javanalikhikara and fellow artistsFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Directly with this project, he also criticised the changing roles and hypocritical management of universities that he experienced firsthand. There was one graduate from this two-year project.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 14 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
During the same period as Hell University, Kade’s artistic approach shifted to abstract painting entirely but, as mentioned, remained considerate of globalisation.
Hot Dog (2001) is a continuation of the Sad Dog series, reflecting on the dog, a man’s best friend when technology has taken a huge role in the life of its “hooman.” Sublime (2003) adds another layer to his critical views about his surroundings.
He brought the essence of purity to abstract painting as a pushback against his critical views on contemporary global issues. “Colour Next to Black” (2005) is another series of his abstract works, expressing his exploration of layers of colours.
Snooppy, The Map Exhibition 02 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Goodbye Snoopy, Hello Kitty (2006)
is the first and only series of his in which the works are all mainly of Snoopy and Kitty. Collages of Snoopy are presented largely in The Map exhibition.
There have been questions from participants of this exhibition, “Why Snoopy?” Accompanying this series is a text with made-up interviews that Kade wrote: ‘Wile E. Coyote interviewed Snoopy when the latter came to Thailand’s “Motorshow” in October 2006,’ and ‘Mickey Mouse interviewed Kitty via telepathy’ in October 2006. Both interviews mock Thai society, materialism, and the abuse of technology.
The title Goodbye Snoopy, Hello Kitty can also be interpreted as saying goodbye to Snoopy, a dog with big ears and the old way of face-to-face communication, and hello to Kitty, a cat without a mouth, representing the new and future way of communication through the internet and telepathy.
Snooppy, The Map Exhibition 03 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Snoopy appeared once again in his most recent works on paper in 2021. My guess is that the pandemic and internet dependency brought him back to the foundation of this series.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 02 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
There are several collages of figures and free-form abstraction in The Map. These pieces are not aligned with any specific series, existing as unique creations within Kade's broader body of work.
Kade Javanalikhikara and Artwork (2024) by Art4CFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Initially, these collages came from reusing leftovers of his paintings and sketches, fragments that might have otherwise been discarded. Then, these bits and pieces took on new life, getting into complete and independent works.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 03 (2024) by Art4CFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Each collage reflects Kade's playfulness with eyes, mind, and imagination, demonstrating his ability to see potential and beauty in what might appear as mere scrap.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 04 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
The spontaneity and creativity involved in assembling these collages highlight his experimental approach, allowing for a dynamic interplay of colours, forms, and textures.
From the late 2000s until now, Kade has explored to a great extent the relationship between abstract art and nature, especially global warming. He painted during the winter and summer and produced prints with the same set of ideas during the rainy season. In series like Without a Word (2007), No Valid Matters (2009), and After Afterall (2011), Kade continued to investigate the extension essence of abstract painting.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 07 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
In later series like Dimensions Variable (2015), TRUE or FALSE (2016), Impressionist Expressionist (2018),and Lights Being (2021), Kade began constructing words along with deconstructing them. Especially in Dimensions Variable,
Kade began constructing words along with deconstructing them. Especially in Dimensions Variable, Kade revisited symbolic traces of words and turned them into abstraction.
In some ways, this period took him out of his comfort zone. His paintings went into the meaning of words and worked around them into abstraction.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 05 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Furthermore, the extensive practice in print brought him to produce art with others; as a quiet painter, he collaborated with the lively vibe of print studios.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 06 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
These practices in paintings and prints during this period interlink the changes within himself, combining playfulness and experimentation.
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 08 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 09 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
Abstract the Map Exhibition (2024) by Art4CFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
I cannot deny that the storytelling of The Map is somehow biased, and this is not a curatorial essay. Kade’s works don't seem to rely on one particular situation or set of knowledge, but rather are created from his collective experiences.
This exhibition hopes to give energy to some of Kade’s works for fellow artists in term of educational approaches. The Map aims to show how an artist works extensively and creatively with core ideas that evolve into much more.
Haisang Javanalikhikara
Video documenting the preparation of
“The Map: A Survey Works on Paper ”
Artwork of the Map Exhibition 10 (2024) by Kade JavanalikhikaraFaculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University
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