Exhibition Opening: “some part of me lived here before” by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya

Fresh off her travels to her father’s hometown in Thailand, MFTA Artist-in-Residence Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya began her residency ruminating on a single word: “ผูกพัน,” (pùuk-pan), Thai for “bind/entwine.” The meaning of pùuk-pan is explored both figuratively and literally in Phingbodhipakkiya’s upcoming solo exhibition “some part of me lived here before,” which weaves together time and its narratives, heritage, and materials to explore these sculptures’ history, past and present, as they’re suspended in time at MFTA’s gallery.

In the liminal spaces between worlds, MFTA Artist-in-Residence Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya’s solo exhibition “some part of me lived here before,” emerges as a visceral exploration of heritage, reclamation, and the braided narratives of one’s diaspora.

“some part of me lived here before” will open at the Materials for the Arts gallery with an opening reception on Thursday, October 17, 2024, from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. At 6:30pm, Thai classical musicians and dancers will perform Lao Duang Dokmai, a traditional Thai piece that celebrates the rich cultural heritage of Thailand’s northern region. The song honors the area’s deep history of folk art and vibrant traditions, evoking the landscape’s beauty and the resilience of its people.

About Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya

A 2024 New York City Artadia awardee, Amanda has completed works of colossal proportions (“I Still Believe in Our City” and “May We Know Our Own Strength”) that have graced the cover of TIME Magazine and been displayed in Times Square, Lincoln Center, The Brooklyn Museum, and the Bangkok Art and Culture Center. Amanda is a transdisciplinary artist working across sculpture, textile, painting and site-specific works. She is a 2023 Jerome Hill Artist Fellow in Visual Arts and has been Civic Practice Artist in Residence with the San Francisco Asian Art Museum and Public Artist in Residence with the New York City Commission on Human Rights. Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya was appointed to the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities where she advises the President on how art can foster community well-being.

Her practice channels loss and disconnection into portals of renewal and repair. She creates living monuments for audiences to reclaim, rebuild, and restore through participation and communion. Weaving together gifted stories, artifacts, and wisdom, she shapes expansive spaces of softness and wonder where new seeds can take root.