Thai-born artist Asoke Aryapratheep, whose mixed Indian and Thai heritage, along with his cross-cultural upbringing, informs a practice that spans decades, continents, and disciplines. Known for his richly layered abstract works and past life as a political cartoonist, Asoke reflects on a life shaped by cultural hybridity—from his early education in Darjeeling and artistic training in the UK to decades spent navigating Bangkok’s evolving creative landscape.

Following his 2024 solo exhibition Suggestions at Supples Gallery—his first in over a decade—Asoke speaks candidly about the evolution of his practice, the philosophical underpinnings of his work, and how freedom, detachment, and experimentation continue to guide his approach. Informed by traditions of collage, introspection, and the unexpected, his art invites viewers into a space of open-ended interpretation—where suggestion, rather than certainty, takes centre stage.

“Once you put a dot, you’ve created space—and anything can happen from there. A blank page becomes an adventure, not something to fear.”—Asoke

CNTRFLD. Your journey began in Bangkok, but your early education took you to St. Paul’s School in Darjeeling. How did your childhood and upbringing—split between countries—influence your decision to pursue a life in the arts?

AA. I was sent to boarding school in Darjeeling, India at the very formative age of six or seven, and I stayed there for ten years. I spent over ten months of the year at school, so in many ways, I was raised in an English public-school environment. My worldview was shaped by a Western mode of thinking—something that came with both advantages and limitations. On the one hand, I was able to access a wide range of subjects. And the one I was most interested in was arts. So, I took it seriously, even winning awards at school, which motivated me further. On the other, the system was extremely rigid. It didn’t encourage personal expression or self-discovery, which made me want to do something completely different. That’s why I chose to study at art college—where the freedom of expression stood in direct contrast to the discipline I grew up with.

CNTRFLD. Though Thai-born, your heritage also has Indian roots. How do identity and heritage play a role in your life and in shaping the way you create and think about art?

AA. The boarding school was isolated high up in the hills, so I had only had that environment to influence me. Culturally and intellectually, I became an “English-thinking ‘Oriental’ Gentleman” as they called it back in the day. After years of daily church, I spoke little of any Indian language and felt disconnected from both Indian and Thai society back home. I had to rediscover my roots through books—mostly written by Western authors. That’s how I first encountered Indian art, via its philosophies, which are deeply entwined.

Living in Thailand now, I feel lucky to be surrounded by such warmth, beauty, and depth of culture. What I particularly value in Thai Buddhism is its emphasis on detachment—and through that, freedom. That’s guided my work, especially in avoiding attachment to any one style. I prefer to keep moving forward.

CNTRFLD. What motivated you to leave Thailand to study Fine Art in the UK, and how did your time at Carlisle and Nottingham Colleges of Art shape your creative outlook?

AA. Back then, Thailand’s education system was mostly in Thai, and at the time, the art schools in Asia followed more traditional paths—while I was more drawn to the freedom of Western modern art. I initially enrolled at an art college in Mumbai. On my first day, I was handed a replica of a Roman nose and told to sculpt it in clay. So, I did it. And after a couple of days, I thought, “let's see, where does this all lead to?” So, I went to see what the fourth-year students were doing. And they were doing perfect replicas of Michelangelo's Slave. I said, “gosh, I'm just going to be a technician”. So, I quit.

In contrast, at art college in England, our first assignment was to buy cheap newsprint and chalk. We were asked to make a single dot. Then two. Then vary their size. It shifted the way I saw a page—not as a surface to replicate something, but as an open space. Once you put a dot, you’ve created space—and anything can happen from there. A blank page becomes an adventure, not something to fear.

CNTRFLD. You’ve exhibited in cities as diverse as Bangkok, New Delhi, and Berlin. How would you compare the art ecosystems and support structures in Thailand to those abroad—particularly in the UK, where you trained?

AA. When I started, the Thai art scene wasn’t as developed as it is today. There was little space for the individual artist—it was more about representing tradition, religion, or national identity. The only places I could show work were cultural institutes like the Goethe-Institut or Alliance Française.

Now, that’s changed. A new generation is approaching art with fresh perspectives, and the local scene has become incredibly exciting. There’s a growing network of galleries in Thailand and across Asia that actively support young, local artists.

CNTRFLD. You’ve chosen to remain based in Bangkok despite your international experience. What is it about the city that continues to fuel your creativity and anchor your practice?

AA. I stayed in Bangkok to take over my family’s business and started a denim factory, where I was able to channel some creativity into the design process. But I always yearned to return to painting. Fortunately, I was able to retire with a soft landing, and for the past five years, I’ve been painting almost every day.

CNTRFLD. Your 2024 solo show Suggestions at Supples Gallery marked your first in over a decade. What drew you back to the gallery space now, and how did the concept for this series come about

AA. Louis from Supples Gallery reached out to me at a time when I was deep in my collage work and producing prolifically. I was drawn to the gallery’s focus on Southeast Asian artists. While I wouldn’t call myself an “emerging” artist, perhaps I’m re-emerging—and I appreciated that the gallery saw something in what I was doing.

Together, we reviewed five years of work and curated a selection that spanned old and new. The pieces were unified by their mediums but left a lot open to interpretation—hence the title, Suggestions.

CNTRFLD. In Suggestions, you draw inspiration from the Rorschach inkblot test, inviting viewers to complete the work through their own interpretations. How do you see the relationship between artist, artwork, and audience in this context?

AA. When a painting is overtly realistic, the mind registers it at face value. But when you suggest something, you activate the viewer’s imagination—and that makes it personal. Hitchcock was a master of this; he created fear through suggestion rather than explicit gore.

The inkblot became a perfect metaphor for what I was trying to do. I created visual cues—spaces, shapes, lines, hints of water or landscape—without spelling anything out. The rest is up to the viewer.

CNTRFLD. Your choice of mediums is remarkably eclectic—from traditional brushes and inks to rolling paper. What inspires this experimental materiality, and how does it reflect your broader artistic philosophy?

AA. Whenever I created with too much intent, the result often felt contrived and uninspiring. But I learned to embrace “happy accidents”—the unplanned moments that revealed something new. I began saving everything: scraps of paper, textures, bits I’d written or pasted. Anything with character.

I was inspired by Kurt Schwitters, a German artist who lived near my college in the Lake District. He used ticket stubs and bits of rubbish to make collages. I’ve been doing the same in my own way—collecting, experimenting, and now translating that experience into larger-scale works.

CNTRFLD. You’ve had a parallel career as a social and political cartoonist, publishing The Book of Rodent and contributing to the Bangkok Post. How do you navigate these different visual languages, and do they ever intersect in your work?

AA. That work happened alongside my business life—it was a creative outlet. I drew cartoons in my spare time, and that led to The Book of Rodent. The cartoons were very figurative, with clear social commentary. They don’t intersect with my art practice, which is much more abstract and introspective.

CNTRFLD. Your work navigates abstraction while occasionally hinting at recognisable landscapes or figures. Has this balance between the seen and unseen always been part of your visual language, or did it evolve over time?

AA. My early work was semi-figurative, then it moved toward pure abstraction. More recently, I’ve begun reintroducing small touches of realism—just enough to suggest something familiar without defining it.

CNTRFLD. Looking back on your artistic journey—across countries, styles, and mediums—what has remained constant in your practice, and what has evolved most significantly?

AA. In the beginning, I worked with extreme precision—fine pens (0.1mm), detailed graphic work. I developed strong technical skills, but eventually, they became a constraint. I had to rely on accidents to break free from my own style.

There’s a book by Krishnamurti called Freedom from the Known, which really resonated. That’s the goal: to step into the unknown. I get restless when I go back to what I know, so I’m always seeking new ground, looking for that “eureka” moment. My approach is constantly evolving—and so are the mediums I use.

CNTRFLD. What advice would you offer to emerging artists—particularly those from Thailand or with dual heritages—who are navigating questions of identity while seeking to build a career in the arts locally or internationally?

AA. There’s often social pressure not to become an artist—it’s seen as a one-in-a-million path. So, your motivation has to come from genuine passion. Open your mind completely. Immerse yourself in what others are doing. Build a visual vocabulary, and over time, you’ll learn to translate that into your own language.

About the artist.

Asoke Aryapratheep (b. 1948, Bangkok), also known as Asoke, is a Thai-born artist of Indian heritage whose practice explores the subconscious through richly textured abstract forms. Educated at St. Paul’s School in Darjeeling before studying Fine Art at Carlisle College of Art and Nottingham College of Art in the UK, Asoke has exhibited widely in Bangkok, New Delhi, and Berlin. Alongside his fine art practice, he is also known for his work as a social and political cartoonist for the Bangkok Post and author of The Book of Rodent.

His 2024 solo exhibition Suggestions at Supples Gallery in Bangkok marked his first solo gallery show in over a decade. Inspired by the Rorschach inkblot test, the series challenges the notion of art as purely visual, instead inviting viewers to complete each work through personal interpretation. Using an eclectic mix of tools—brushes, pens, inks, and unconventional materials like rolling paper—Asoke creates layered, semi-figurative landscapes that shift fluidly between recognition and abstraction.

Based in Bangkok, Asoke continues to push the boundaries between artist, artwork, and audience, drawing from a lifetime of cross-cultural experience and experimental practice.

With thanks to Louis Supple and Supples Gallery, for facilitating this conversation.

About Supples Gallery.

Supples is a contemporary art gallery based in Bangkok, showcasing emerging artists from Southeast Asia and Europe.

Founded in 2023, The gallery's primary mission is to work with emerging and early career artists from both Southeast Asia and Europe, with the intention of developing an ongoing cultural exchange between the two regions.

With a particular emphasis on discovering and nurturing new and unrecognised talent, the core values of the gallery are centred around the belief in opportunity and community.