Eric Tobua (a wizard of wearable art) has taken over Tease at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon for Pride. We sat down with the artist himself to talk joy, fashion and art with a message.
What was your first impression of Tease at The Standard, Bangkok Mahanakhon, and how did that inspire the concept for your installation?
I love the design of Tease tearoom, the black and white patterns in the room with high ceiling. I dream of surreal afternoon tea experiences for the guests to have a lovely teatime while being surrounded by flowers and butterflies, like a dream of dancing flowers in the air. Tease tearoom will be filled with love and joy.
Concept: Art installation of colourful flowers and silver butterflies, filling the upper space of Tease tearoom. This surreal installation will be reflected upon the looking glass tabletop to give the reversed imagination, like art on the table. Flowers represent celebration and happiness. Butterflies represent beauty, freedom, magic, spreading love and joy. Colours represent Pride. Colours will be part of all the designs including food and beverage that are created especially for this event.
Much of your work centers on fashion—and we’re pretty deep in fashion inspiration ourselves. Does your process differ much between creating elaborate headpieces vs. space installations?
My work is always inspired by fashion art and music. I work with the human body (headpieces, accessories and costume) and also the space (set design, art installation, window display etc.). The process is different between these two but it’s the same to me in terms of art but in a bigger scale.
Your work has a dreamlike quality—an almost hallucinatory sense of shape and color. What are your dreams like?
Something surreal. Colourful. Mix of shapes/elements.
We love that your art carries messages about consumerism, waste and nature. What message do you hope this Pride installation conveys to guests?
Spreading love.. spreading happiness and joy. Celebrate your freedom and for being yourself. I've got the feeling that when the guests see my work, it will give a little smile on their faces.
If you could throw a tea party at The Standard with five artists/designers (living or dead) who’d be on the list?
I would like to invite 1. Salvador Dali 2. Elsa Schiaparelli 3. Isabella Blow 4. Lee Alexander McQueen 5. Vivienne Westwood to my private tea party. Everyone is wearing my headpiece and accessories that I designed especially for them with new decorations and scenography design especially for this party.
Stop by our trippy tearoom through July 31 to see Eric’s frisky florals up close (with a cocktail in hand, obviously).
