An Artist Using Surrealism to Challenge Societal Expectations

Societal expectations, cultural norms, and hierarchies of value are deeply subjective and personal. At the same time, they are shaped by communities and vary from person to person and place to place. For Thai artist Kantapon Metheekul, better known as Gongkan, the space between these shifting boundaries serves as a powerful site of exploration—one where he reflects on his own journey while also examining broader personal and collective experiences.

Opening March 22, 2025, Gongkan’s solo show “Asynchronous Affinities” at Tang Contemporary Art in Hong Kong uses the proverbial idea of “right person, wrong time” as a conceptual starting point, applying it not only to interpersonal relationships but relationships with physical places, cultures, and societies. Drawing on universals—such as celebrating, eating, or even scenes of play—Gongkan’s uniquely surrealist style transforms these commonalities into playful and, at times, uncanny vignettes. Frequently incorporating depictions of himself in his compositions, alongside figures of various genders and races, he creates a distinct sense of narrative  without enough information to complete the story.

Gongkan, Fusion Cuisine (2025). Courtesy of Tang Contemporary Art.

Across the show, as well as his oeuvre, there is a unifying stylistic cohesion, which is achieved through his meticulous technical approach to painting. The artist transitions through colors via multiple thin layers, and lighter hues are gradually built up and kept to the outermost layers, making the images appear to radiate. Balanced by the use of simplified forms and other compositional elements, the otherwise austere compositions still brim with atmosphere and energy. In conjunction with the core themes of the exhibition, the artist’s style itself becomes a metaphor for the liminal spaces between cultures, societies, identities, and lived experiences.

Gongkan, who is based in Bangkok, has roots in the Teo Chew community, an ethnic group originating from the Chaoshan region of China, which exposed the artist to not only another rich cultural heritage, but another facet of his own identity. Reflecting this is the inclusion of Chinese motifs and patterns, like the blue-and-white porcelain bowl in Non-Traditional Recipe (2025), a tongue-in-cheek painting that, with its title, is a multi-layered play on ideas around gender, relationships, and shared cultural experiences.

Gongkan, Non-Traditional Recipe (2025). Courtesy of Tang Contemporary Art.

Also featured in “Asynchronous Affinities” is Confinements to Expectation (2020), a video work that portrays Gongkan cutting ropes that tie him to his father. Here again, the artist’s use of metaphor touches both upon his own journey, but also greater themes of trust, attachment, and division.

“Gongkan: Asynchronous Affinities” is on view at Tang Contemporary Art, Hong Kong, March 22–May 14, 2025.