Bangkok, the capital of Thailand, is a city where the sacred and the secular, the beautiful and the ugly, and the new and the old intersect. The mysterious energy that this chaotic city emanates attracts all who visit. Boosted by the country’s economy which has been experiencing positive growth since 2010, this magical Asian metropolis became the city that welcomed the most tourists in the world in 2018. Locals call the city “Krungthep” after the first letter of its official designation. It means “City of Angels”.

Thailand’s contemporary art scene, which is centered around such a heavenly world, is now attracting worldwide attention. In recent years, a number of large-scale exhibitions have been held there, and artists who work internationally continue to emerge, likely due to the synergistic effect of these exhibitions. Aof Smith, born and raised in Bangkok and still based in his hometown, is one of the artists at the forefront of this emerging movement.