Alex Face

Alex Face / Patcharapol Tangruen

Urban Art, Graffiti

February 6, 2014

The work of artist Patcharapol Tangruen, aka Alex Face, is bellowed all across the world. He is one of the most influential graffiti artists in Thailand. His signature image is an aged baby in an animal suit that, at first glance, looks innocent and cute. However, there is worry in its vise eyes as it gazes at the passersby. The idea for the baby image came with the birth of his daughter. Alex Face sees himself as an artist with a social conscience. The baby has to live in this world, but it worries about the present and future. Throughout his career, the artist has participated in numerous street art festivals, including Moniker Art Fair (2013) in London, The Rendezvous (2012), and Urban up Korea Street Art Festival (2014) in Seoul.

Alex Face's Graffiti Art

Tangruen was born in 1981 in Chachoengsao, Thailand. From a young age, he expressed an interest in art. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in fine arts from Bangkok's King Mongkut Institute of Technology. However, Alex Face was never satisfied with his formal training, for he found the rules and boundaries abided by classical art to be restrictive and monotonous. Unable to fully express himself, he started looking for alternative solutions, and he found the perfect outlet for his inner voice in graffiti art.  

Alex's early works featured images of his own face spray painted on the empty walls of Bangkok. Inspired by these images, he adopted the name Alex Face. His work started appearing all over the city, garnering him a substantial following as well as trouble. Culturally Thai people do not look favorably on graffiti art but see it as illegal destruction of property. Only in recent years have things been slowly changing.

Baby With An Old Face

Face's artistic expression completely changed with the birth of his daughter. He was in shock when he first saw her face, which "looked angry or worried." Questions started pouring in if his child was happy to see him, to be born into this world. As he reflected on the society she would be growing up in, the character of a newborn child in animal onesies was born. The artist named his new creation Mardi. The image represents the fragility of childhood innocence when faced with a world where only profit is important. The child has a face of an old person aged prematurely with worry. Mardy often has a third eye that represents the spiritual aspect. Alex Face said:

I believe in the spirit, that is how I grew up. I feel the spirit. It's something that we can feel but can't see with two eyes so I add the third eye, which can see what we can't.

Exhibitions

In 2022 Alex Face had a solo exhibition Alex Face: 20th Year at Bangkok CityCity Gallery and New Works at Thinkspace Projects in Los Angeles. He also participated in several group shows, including Atomic Number 13 (Part 2) at Vertical Gallery in Chicago, Going Places: Travels of the Mind, Spirit and Heart at Art Porters Gallery in Singapore, and Unity at Volery Gallery in Dubai.

Alex Face lives and works in Bangkok.

Featured image: Photo of Alex Face. Courtesy of the artist 


Download W.News app today and read everything you need to know about the art world on the go
button
Can We Help?

Have a question or a technical issue? Want to learn more about our services to art dealers? Let us know and you'll hear from us within the next 24 hours.