ALEX FACE
WAVE PERIOD : KHAO LAK POP-UP
20-28.07.2024
KHAO LAK, THAILAND

WAVE PERIOD
is the space and time in between,
between the land and the sea,
wind currents and tides,
between the ripples of the wave crests,
stillness and movement.

While we’re just watching and noting the movement of the scenery,
through a painting that was suddenly drawn,
as time swirls until it becomes ripples,
in a vast space that makes us feel our own smallness.

BANGKOK CITYCITY GALLERY, in collaboration with The Board Factory, is pleased to announce an OFF-SITE project titled “WAVE PERIOD : KHAO LAK POP-UP” by renowned artist Alex Face. The exhibition will commence with a reception on Saturday, July 20, 2024, from 14:00 to 16:00 at The Board Factory in Khao Lak, Thailand, and will run until July 28, 2024, spanning multiple venues including The Board Factory, The Place Khao-Lak, Soul Friend & Spiritual Garden, and Baan Thung Kamin Children Library.

The exhibition’s title, “WAVE PERIOD : KHAO LAK POP-UP,” draws inspiration from surfing terminology. In surfing, “Wave Period” refers to the time interval between successive waves, with longer periods indicating more powerful and well-formed waves, which are favored by surfers. “Pop-Up” denotes the swift maneuver surfers execute to transition from lying on the board to standing up, a critical skill for catching and riding waves. Alex Face’s “Wave Period” also symbolizes his immersion in Khao Lak’s surf culture, reflecting this experience through a series of artworks. The “Pop-Up” concept underscores the immediacy and spontaneity of sketching landscapes on surfboards with spray paint, capturing the essence of the local environment in a dynamic and ephemeral manner.

In 2021, Alex Face and his family relocated to Phang Nga, finding a second home in the small seaside town of Khao Lak. His artworks from this period onward embody his profound connection to nature and the vibrant local communities, nurtured through his engagement with surfing. All new paintings in “WAVE PERIOD : KHAO LAK POP-UP,” whether on surfboard or canvas, were created onsite in Khao Lak, primarily along the road from his home to Memories Beach, Pakarang Cape and Nang Thong Beach, popular surfing spots. Some of these locales may undergo changes or vanish by the next high season, Alex Face’s dedication to this holistic presentation is an homage to the human relationship with uncertainty.