Family and national history come together in ‘Broadlands,’ the centerpiece of Bangkok textile artist Jakkai Siributr’s show at Canal Projects, a work crafted from the artist’s late mother’s clothing. As part of Thai King Rama VII’s encourage on a visit to England in the mid 1930s, Siributr’s mother was present when the king abdicated and remained in England; her garments symbolize her role as witness to political upheaval, while the chains of beads point to a family tale of a broken necklace at a social occasion. Positioned near quilts made from antique thangkas embroidered to picture his mother and aunts, who continued to be tied to historic events, Siributr’s humble sewn medium connects personal experience with wider cultural histories. (On view through May 23rd).
