for an artist, the reason to hold a solo exhibition is often to present new works or ideas at a particular moment in time. yet life in the ordinary takes a different approach. It aims instead to convey the everyday essence of an artist’s life—one who has lived with art for more than fifty years, now well into the years beyond retirement. life in the ordinary is an exhibition about the simplicity of living with creativity—of making art guided by belief, faith, and inspiration. It tells the story of sriwan janehuttakarnkit, who discovered her passion for drawing as a child, pursued her studies at a specialized art institution, and developed her practice to become one of the few women artists of her time to gain recognition. the exhibition presents works from different stages of her artistic journey, created through her beliefs, thoughts, and inspirations, reflecting perspectives on herself, her community, and society. the painting dance with the present (2022) explores the inseparable nature of life and death, body and mind. the free-standing sculptures footprints of the buddha and little diary (2010) transform the practice of daily journaling into visual form, using sriwan’s distinctive ceramic technique—pressing pigment into grooves of clay and wiping the surface with a sponge to leave lasting traces of color and ink, creating beauty and impressions in a wholly new way. most recently, the sculptural series art decoded (2024) was created in collaboration with designers, translating the aesthetics of her artworks into three-dimensional forms that invite touch and tangible engagement. throughout her many roles—as a teacher who has nurtured hundreds of thai artists, as a woman artist working across painting, sculpture, and printmaking, and as the founder of sridonmoon art space, which provides opportunities for children, students, and the general public to encounter art—sriwan has lived each role through the breath of artistic practice, connecting herself deeply with nature and the surrounding society. no matter how the contexts of her life have changed, she has never ceased to experiment. each new technique has led to personal insight, specialized skills, and the cultivation of a unique artistic identity. she once explained: “printmaking teaches us patience—to plan, to prepare, to arrange steps before printing. each print carries its own character, shaped by this discipline. sculpture, on the other hand, teaches us not to fear mistakes. Each type of clay has its own qualities—its coolness, its pliability. when kneading clay, the body relaxes, the muscles work, and the mind stays present with the material in our hands.” the works gathered in this exhibition stand as a quiet testament to what life in the ordinary truly means to the artist, sriwan janehuttakarnkit.