Jay Surasen: SAWASDEE
28 January - 2 February 2014
Gallery 8, 8 Duke Street, St James's, London, SW1Y 6BN
From his studio deep inside the mountain of Thailand, Jay Surasen brings a touch of serenity and the beauty
of nature to the heart of London in his first solo exhibition in the UK. 'Sawasdee' will be shown at Gallery 8
Duke Street from 28 January to 2 February 2014.
Influenced by Zen and Buddhism, Jay’s works are about simplicity, a non-complex source of happiness such
as riding a bicycle in your hometown or walking home to play with someone you love. His love and his
profound connections with nature are displayed in his paintings of beautiful sceneries that can make our minds
feel relaxed and at peace. In this collection he beautifully combines calming views from northern Thailand such
as the lotus pond and the flower field, and the simple lifestyle of the northern Thai culture. Two things which he
believes live in perfect harmony.
Overlooking the mountain from his studio, he says "Do you know that Nature can be our teacher? If we slow
our life down a little and spend more time with her we will see that happiness can be found much closer to us
than we thought. The kind of happiness that doesn't depend on how much money one can earn."
Jay was born in 1959. He started his artistic life on the pavement of a market street. Now he runs his own
studio and gallery in the north of Thailand where he currently lives and works. He has had 9 solo exhibitions
which are described by visitors as an oasis of serenity in the heart of a bustling city. His works of art are
in collections all over the world and can be found in America, Europe and Asia.
Exclusive for SAWASDEE
In this exhibition, in addition to his usual style of paintings, Jay has included his paintings of bantams (small
hens) in natural action in the collection. Spending most of his time in his Zen inspired gallery deep in the
mountain he makes new friends. By observing his new neighbours who frequently pay a visit to his garden he
sees their beautiful characters which are reminiscent of those of humans.
He says "One day I saw a bantam family with young chicks wandering around finding food. Once the father
bantam found the food he stopped and called his partner and children. He then waited until they had finished
their food and that's when he started eating. This is the purest form of love: natural and regardless of race,
class or any barrier that humans have ever created." This has inspired him to create this beautiful collection of
bantams which will be displayed in the 'Sawasdee' exhibition.
Private View: Monday 27th January 2013, 6pm - 9pm
For more information, please visit the website at:
www.iudeagallery.com or call 07788 850 230