Patana Canvases: Unveiling The Artistic Practices In Our Community
Exhibition
Group exhibition at the Exhibition Hall, Arts Centre, Bangkok Patana School, January – February 2025.
Overview
About the exhibition
The inaugural ‘Patana Canvases’ exhibition showcases the incredible creativity within the Bangkok Patana School community as part of the Teachers as Practitioners (TAPs) Project. Over 30 academic and business staff members from Primary, Secondary, and Cross Campus come together to share their artistic talents in this first-of-its-kind exhibition.
From photography and painting to embroidery, sculpture, music, creative writing, performance art, and more, the event celebrates the diversity of expertise and passion across our school. Curated by Purnima Ruanglertbutr (TAPs Project Lead, Researcher, and Secondary English Teacher), the exhibition is the culmination of the TAPs Continued Professional Learning (CPL) programme.
The project fosters a vibrant, collaborative space where professional roles meet personal artistic passions, highlighting the importance of creative practice in education and demonstrating the transformative power of the arts in enhancing staff wellbeing, strengthening community connections and inspiring innovative approaches to work.
Celebrating Creativity
Experience the highlights of the TAPs Exhibition launch at Bangkok Patana School, where staff, students and families gathered to celebrate creativity and community. The event featured diverse artworks and dynamic performances spanning music, dance, poetry, storytelling and drama. Showcasing artistic passions and talents, the launch embodied the TAPs Programme’s spirit, demonstrating how creativity enriches professional roles, fosters wellbeing and strengthens connections.
Artist's statement
Rationale
‘A World of Her Own Making’ (2021–2024) consists of illustrated and concrete poems alongside my handmade concertina artist’s book ‘Muses in the Sun’ (2006), featuring poetry and copper plate etchings of forest faeries. Inspired by the Cottingley fairy photographs, this work explores reinvention, transformation, empowerment and the evolving lore of fairies as symbols of resilience.
‘Unbound’ (Infinity Within Her collection) 2020–2024 features poems on women’s empowerment, individuality and change, where I use calligrams, ekphrasis and micro poetry to arrange words into shapes that unite text and art fusing language, imagery and structure, celebrating the visual beauty of words.
‘The Worlds Within Her Words’ (2020–2024) is a collection drawn from lines in my longer poems that celebrates the power of self-expression to shape worlds, challenge perceptions and connect people, honouring poetry as a tool for releasing emotion, revealing truths and bridging cultures.
‘The Temple Within’ (2006–2024) is a handmade concertina book of linocut prints depicting Hindu goddesses, paired with ekphrastic poems that explore myth, inner strength and the connections between cultural heritage and human experience.
‘Where I’m From’ (The Heritage Collection, 2020–2024) is an installation exploring identity and belonging through poetry and art, inspired by the Indian diaspora and classical dance. Handmade photograms created in the darkroom capture the fluidity of cultural identity. Anchored by my 2024 performance poem Jigsaw Lady backed by the Kinetic Poetic Worldwide band , inspired by my Australian-Thai heritage, Indian roots and upbringing in Bangkok, this collection challenges traditional notions of identity and asks: “Where are you really from?”
Gallery
Live Performance Poem
‘Our Art is the Start’ was performed at the exhibition launch, celebrating art as a powerful force that inspires connection, challenges injustice and ignites change. It honours creativity as a brave act of expression beyond competition and perfection, inviting all to embrace their voice and create art that uplifts and transforms. Performances by two of Purnima’s Spoken Word Poetry Showcase ECA students followed, revealing how active engagement in creative craft profoundly impacts students.
Spoken Word with Music
The live audio recording of the poem ‘Jigsaw Lady’ explores the question of belonging and invites the audience to ponder: “Where are you really from?” Purnima often performs her poems with musical accompaniment; this particular performance was backed by the Kinetic Poetic Collective Band and was performed live at Yellow Lane Ari in Bangkok.
Visual and Literary Expressions of Identity
Purnima’s art-making aims to empower, uplift and inspire, sparking conversations that challenge stereotypes, amplify marginalised voices, promote inclusion and enable self-discovery. It serves as a cathartic outlet through which she shares stories and explores human experiences. The works in this exhibition embody her multidisciplinary practice. Curating the exhibition is, in itself, an act of creation that reflects this artistic journey. Purnima’s passion lies in using art as a springboard for creative writing—both in her own practice and in the English classroom—making visual literacy, poetry and literary analysis engaging and accessible for all.
Exhibition Display
Exhibition Enquiries
If you are seeking to book Purnima for your exhibition, commission a unique artwork, collaborate on a project, or require more information, please reach out.