Marisa Darasavath (born 1972) is a Laotian artist and translator who is cited in ''

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

'' as "one of Laos's leading contemporary artists".

Life

Darasavath was born in

Vientiane Vientiane ( , ; lo, ວຽງຈັນ, ''Viangchan'', ) is the capital and largest city of Laos. Vientiane is divided administratively into 9 cities with a total area of only approx. 3,920 square kilometres and is located on the banks of ...

in 1972. A keen artist from a young age, developing an interest in Japanese animation, in 2008 she graduated from Laos's National Institute of Fine Arts. She attended the Fukuoka Asian Art Triennale in Japan in 2009 and has exhibited in

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populatio ...

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = ''Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , sub ...

and

Bali Bali () is a province of Indonesia and the westernmost of the Lesser Sunda Islands. East of Java and west of Lombok, the province includes the island of Bali and a few smaller neighbouring islands, notably Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan, and Nu ...

. In 2011 she showcased her works for two months at the

M Gallery Mercure is a French midscale hotel brand specialized in traditional hotels managed by committed hoteliers, and owned by Accor. Created in 1973 in France, the brand was acquired by Accor in 1975. The Mercure brand appears on 899 hotels in 61 countr ...

outpost in

, and in 2013 she was one of only two Laotian artists to feature in the

Singapore Biennale The Singapore Biennale is a large-scale biennial contemporary art exhibition in Singapore, serving as the country’s major platform for international dialogue in contemporary art. It seeks to present and reflect the vigour of artistic practices in ...

. In April–July 2012, Darasavath was the only Laotian artist represented in the "Open Sea" gallery at the

Museum of Contemporary Art in Lyon A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make these i ...

, France, focusing on southeastern Asian art.

Style and works

Darasavath's work is typical bold, colourful and surrealistic. She often depicts Laotian women, particularly from ethnic minorities, functioning in everyday life, such as weaving or grating coconuts. She has taken inspiration from her work in her extensive travels across Laos and has developed her own artistic voice, often incorporating elements of history with the present. She states that she is not a political artist and that she wants to be "a free agent, to have free thoughts and not get caught up in agendas". Notable oil on canvas paintings, which have been showcased at the M Gallery, include: ''Spirit Of Mother - Hmong'' (2009), ''Spirit Of Mother Colourful Poppy'' (2010), ''Hmong'' (2010), ''Spirit Of Mother - Umbrella IV'' (2010), ''Cooking Sticky Rice'' (2012) and ''Bathing By The River''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darasavath, Marisa Laotian artists Laotian women painters Laotian painters 1972 births Living people People from Vientiane Laotian translators 21st-century women artists 21st-century translators