Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner.
Catalogue Essay
Patcharapon Tangruen, better known as Alex Face, is widely recognized as Thailand’s most respected and prolific street artist. Executed in 2019, the present lot is a freshly painted portrayal of Mardi, the signature three-eyed character of Alex Face who has graced street murals in Bangkok, London, Tokyo, and Berlin, amongst others. The creation of ‘Mardi’, translated to ‘to come with good things’ in Thai, was inspired by the artist’s own daughter, who was born with an angry, worried look upon her face. Her birth led Alex Face to reflect on the life she has ahead, as she and other vulnerable children confront today’s world.
Drawing inspiration from Monet’s famous water-lily paintings, Dippin’ Dusk depicts Mardi half-sunken in a water-lily pond, pointed lilac bunny ears atop her head. Despite a beautifully reflected sunset, the child’s third eye watches over her unimpressed expression. As water-lilies prefer to grow in relatively stagnant water, Alex Face uses this motif as a metaphor for his social concerns about Thailand’s current state.
Heralded as the ‘Banksy of Bangkok’, Alex Face’s work is widespread within Thailand and has gained recognition across the globe. As well as collaborating with high-profile brands like Mercedes Benz and COACH, the artist has recently presented solo shows at the Vertical Gallery in Chicago (2019), and Galleria Ravagnan in Venice Italy (2019).