The Emotive Soul Within My Contemporary Social Landscape

The Emotion of the Mind in My Contemporary Social Condition
Manas Kaewyotha
Dimensions: 255 x 195 cm
Technique: Mixed Media Painting

Abstract

Background and Significance
Society, as it surrounds and shapes the individual, exists in both abstract and concrete forms. As Kulthida Sriwichian (2022) notes, contemporary society is a shifting structure marked by relentless change and deepening inequalities. It operates as both a mechanism of transformation and a tool of dominance under capitalist systems, embedding hierarchies of class and economic status. These conditions influence emotional responses and become the primary thematic focus of this artwork.

The significance of this creation lies in its foundation: the internalized emotions that emerge from one’s experience within society. Drawing from the insights of Ittipol Tangcholok (2007), this work seeks to distill visual form through abstraction. Social confusion and inner conflict are translated into an abstract visual language, emphasizing formal elements such as color, shape, and composition to reflect emotional states shaped by the external world. Thus, the creative process centers on interpreting society’s surrounding chaos through expressive, abstract visual means.

Objectives
This project aims to create a two-dimensional abstract painting that channels specific emotional states through artistic expression. It seeks to bring audiences into contact with the value of emotion in visual art, offering an immersive understanding of the processes, techniques, and symbolic languages used in contemporary abstract painting.

Conceptual Framework and Creative Process
The painting series “The Emotion of the Mind in My Contemporary Social Condition” is a personal response to the societal dynamics that give rise to emotional states. It addresses the social and economic inequalities, the invisible systems of oppression, and the emotional burdens they generate. The work explores the tension between form and feeling, seeking balance and unity through composition, while utilizing the psychology of color theory to express nuanced emotion.

Abstract art, in its truest sense, detaches itself from any concrete reference and ventures into the depths of the subconscious—a place where emotional responses exist but cannot always be articulated. This creative journey explores the unspoken terrain of the soul through form, color, and instinctual expression.

Technically, the creative process involved experimental applications of acrylic paint combined with traditional Thai white clay (dinso pong), along with turpentine and thinner to create chemical reactions. These produced organic fractures, cracks, and unexpected textures. Through pouring, dripping, and splashing, the materials took on a life of their own—mirroring the spontaneity and fluidity of emotion. The resulting forms are spontaneous yet intentional, shaped by both subconscious impulse and visual design principles.

Conclusion and Reflection
The series succeeds in linking concept, technique, and form into a cohesive abstract language that reflects the artist’s emotional response to contemporary social realities. It represents an authentic visual identity—personal, raw, and reflective of individual temperament. By sharing this work through social media and public platforms, the artist opens a dialogue on the value of abstract art as a vessel for emotional truth. The series offers viewers insight into both process and perception, inviting them to experience emotional resonance through the language of abstraction.

References
Kulthida Sriwichian. (2022). An Introduction to Contemporary Society. Phitsanulok: Naresuan University Press.
Ittipol Tangcholok. (2007). Methods in Teaching and Creating Advanced Painting. Bangkok: Amarin Printing and Publishing Public Co., Ltd.