Lot 84: NITI WATTUYA (b. Thailand 1944)

Wild Orchid
signed and dated 'Niti.01' (lower right)
oil on canvas
80 x 67 1/2 in. (200 x 169 cm.)

Kuala Lumpur, Valentine Willie Fine Art, 2004.
Wild Orchids, Bangkok, Thailand, Numthong Gallery, 2001.

Nature is the overall theme in Niti's artistic direction. He has painted landscapes and in the present lot focused on the particular subject of orchids. His affinity for environmental concerns has motivated him to capture the beauty in nature by documenting them with his art.

Orchids are indigenous and synonymous to Thailand. The orchid is a national cultural icon. The Thai national air carrier uses this motif as part of their brand identity. Niti's passion for this subject saw him growing diverse varieties of orchids to examine the flower in preparation for its use as his main subject. This study culminated in an exhibition, Wild Orchids in 2001, where the flower presided in the exhibition space. He heightens the status of this flower through inflating the proportions of the flower in his depictions. The bold and luxuriant gold emblazoned in the immediate space next to the orchid lights up the work.

Gold is a colour of preference to Niti. It is the colour of wealth, a readily respected understanding globally. In Thailand, gold is a medium of economic transactions, a medium of patronage where leaves of gold are pasted on images of the Buddha, source of jewellery etc. and other riches. This love affair with the colour has seen the inclusion of it into the titles of his exhibitions such as Return of the Golden Era, Golden Worms, Golden River, all held in the 90s.

The familiarity of the orchid combined with its large format dominating the single coloured background takes on pop art character, making it and the institution of nature relevant to contemporary society.