FRI 5 | Born in Vientiane, self-taught painter Teck Inthavong was forced to flee Laos during the revolution when he was just a child. For the following 43 years, the artist – who is still reluctant to describe himself as such – moved from France to the US and then onto China, and continues to this day to draw much of his inspiration from his travels. Now settled in Thailand, where he runs an art gallery with his wife, Teck seeks to promote a healthier world view of his native Southeast Asia, a region that for too long has been internationally equated with the horrors of the colonial era, sexual tourism and armed conflict. The Lotus Inspiration collection of 11 leaf paintings comes from his will to “get back to basics and take up again with nature”. Looking for local and natural raw materials, Teck plumped for lotus leaves, long associated with these parts.
WHO: Teck Inthavong
WHAT: Lotus Inspiration art exhibition opening
WHERE: Tea House, #32 Street 242
WHEN: From 6pm December 5 until January 4
WHY: “The lotus comes from the murkiest water but grows into the purest thing.” – Nita Ambani