Exploring the Female Breast in Art: A Look at Pinaree Sanpitak’s Work

8 Feb 2023

Pinaree Sanpitak is known for her exploration of the female breast in all of its literal and symbolic vastness. She showcases her works at The Warehouse Hotel in Singapore for ART SG, the artist’s latest work transforms the glamorous Valentino Toile Iconographe into something wholly new.

Through the four decades of Pinaree Sanpitak practice of art, nothing can capture her interest quite like the female breast. The birth of her iconic Breast Works series began in 1994 where it was inextricably linked to the birth of her child. Sanpitak had been breastfeeding her son when she was first stuck by the powerful symbolism behind the breast. She reflects. “It’s a symbol of motherhood, love and strength.”

In 2001, Sanpitak coined the term ‘breast stupas’—which would go on to serve as an overarching title for several works. Breast stupas has spanned a variety of medium and materiality—from graceful fabric tapestries to imposing sculptures fashioned from steel. This year, the newest iteration in the series has been injected with a high-fashion twist from Valentino. Staged in The Warehouse Hotel for ART SG, the largest contemporary art fair in Southeast Asia taking place in Singapore this month, Sanpitak’s reinterpretation of the elegant print has resulted in a pair of soft sculptures wrapped in Valentino fabric.

The entitled Breast Stupas Valentino carries a delicate sensibility, their softness and symmetry accentuated by the industrial backdrop they have been placed in. Alongside, guest are welcome to wander into the den to spend quality time with more of Sanpitak’s work: Breast Stupa Cookery Valentino, a collection of vessels and tactile paper sculptures lining the shelves. Sanpitak ruminates on her collaboration with Valentino and the undeniable magic of the breast.