The female body is a recurring theme in the work of Pinaree Sanpitak, in figuration and otherwise alluded to across her paintings, drawings, photography, collage and sculpture. In this pair of collages, she combines figuration and abstraction into richly evocative statements. Sanpitak often employs images of eggs and pumpkins to suggest the fertility of motherhood and female sexuality. This symbolism is reinforced through photographic fragments and gestural brushstrokes against flat colour fields. The base material is the handmade mulberry paper known as saa, common to northern Thailand, the natural colours and textures of which are maintained in accordance with the artist’s ‘truth of materials’ ethos. Rather than offering a literal representation of the body or a fixed definition of femininity, Sanpitak plays on perceptions to convey the complexity of women’s lived experience.

Self and the companion work I'm confused (Acc. no. 1995.096) are commanding mixed media images which conflate the polarity of representation and abstraction into richly evocative statements. Pinaree Sanpitak often employs emblematic imagery (such as the egg and squash) to suggest the fecundity of motherhood and female sexuality. This symbolism is articulated through photographic fragments or gestural painted marks against flat colour fields. Sanpitak's work is essentially collagist with signs juxtaposed in conjunction with layers of pigment and heterogeneous materials. The base material for Self is the handmade Thai paper known as saa.