SELF-PORTRAITS (2004-2005)
The Thai artist Michael Shaowanasai plays with preconceptions and role patterns in Asian culture – preferably in provocative ways. In doing so, he avoids the idealistic stereotypes, such as the handsome, subservient youth, in favor of the more banal variants. For instance, he presents himself as wife, ideological militant, war victim, sex partner and cover girl. These are roles that women in Asia are frequently assigned, but which also apply universally, according to Shaowanasai. By presenting himself as a woman the flamboyant homosexual artist also stands the traditional division of roles on its head in this work from 2004-2005.
