Will There Be Morning Light in the Sleepless Nights

Atom Pavarit

Artemin Gallery

Bangkok’s rapid urbanisation has drastically reduced the city’s green spaces, leaving residents increasingly disconnected from nature. Public parks have given way to shopping malls, and concrete and glass now dominate the skyline. As a result, many people find themselves confined to artificial environments, distanced from the natural world. This transformation extends beyond physical surroundings; it reshapes how we experience light. With modern life increasingly moving indoors, our exposure to natural sunlight has diminished, affecting both physical and mental well-being. The warmth of the sun has been replaced by the cool glow of LED lights and digital screens, which quietly govern the rhythms of our days and nights.

In this series, Atom Pavarit reflects on his own routine between Pak Chong and Bangkok, where direct encounters with nature or natural light have become increasingly rare. His world is lit by artificial sources: screens, overhead bulbs, and the filtered rays that slip in through windows. Across the series, windows become a quiet but persistent presence. Whether it’s the soft spill of light through a real window or the electric glare of a digital screen mimicking one, each painting contains a frame—a threshold between interior and exterior, real and artificial. These windows serve as both openings and boundaries. They let light in, but also remind us of our distance from the outside world. In the absence of natural access, even screens begin to resemble windows, offering simulated light, curated landscapes, and secondhand experience.

His palette, rich in yellows, greens, and blues, echoes the light we encounter every day—whether from the sun or from our devices. Yet this familiar glow plays a subtle trick. While the colors may suggest natural light, their sources of inspiration are often artificial, drawn from household fixtures and screen-based illumination. Atom rarely uses white paint in this series; instead, he leaves parts of the canvas untouched to suggest light in its purest form.

Ironically, many of the works were inspired by the artist’s home and studio in Pak Chong, a place surrounded by nature. Yet the scenes he paints are almost always viewed from within. Windows frame the world outside rather than immersing us in it. The remaining works reflect his time in Bangkok, where access to open air and sunlight is even more limited.

Though these paintings may appear serene, they quietly ask a question: Is this our new reality—framed, filtered, and confined? Do we still have a choice? Today, we are invited to “experience” nature and light in curated environments, through immersive exhibitions, indoor installations, or the mediated glow of screens. In this context, the series asks us to reconsider how we perceive space, light, and connection in an era when even our access to the outside world is increasingly controlled and constructed.

Light, long seen as a symbol of guidance and hope, once led the way. But in a world shaped by artificial glow, the artist gently asks: As natural light fades and digital brightness takes over, can we still find our hope and purpose? Will it lead us home, or have we already lost our way?

Text by Mai Wongsawasdi

Will There Be Morning Light in the Sleepless Nights
Atom Pavarit

Dates: 2025.May.03 ⭢ 2025.Jun.07

Opening Reception: 2025.May.03 | 15：00

Venue: Artemin Gallery (1F, No. 32, Ln. 251, Jihe Rd., Shilin Dist., 111, Taipei City, Taiwan)