ART & CULTURE

31Thailand

Chen Man in Bangkok Metropolitan hotel

Chen Man, a graduate of the Central Academy

of Fine Arts in Beijing, is China’s leading fash-

ion photographer whose distinctive vision of

feminine beauty and power has placed her among the

image-makers of choice for luxury brands like Celine,

Versace, Adidas, Chanel, MAC and Mercedes. Her work,

considered defining of modern China, appears regu-

larly in Chinese Vogue, Elle, and Harper’s Bazaar.

Chen Man participated in the Victoria & Albert

Museum’s ‘China Design Now’ exhibition in London.

Her work has also been exhibited at the Salon National

d’Art Contemporain at the Espace Cardin in Paris and

Ullens Center of Contemporary Art in Beijing. The To-

day Art Museum in Beijing held a major solo retrospec-

tive of Chen Man’s work in 2011.

The exhibition, which is installed in a specially

commissioned pop-up gallery space within the hotel’s

iconic Met Bar, displays nine lightbox images and two

printed pieces. Six prints by Chen Man are also on dis-

play in one of the hotel’s exclusive Penthouse Suites,

allowing guests to enjoy Chen Man’s work in the pri-

vacy of their own room.

On show are several pieces from her ‘Bad Head’

series, which uses waste materials pain stakingly

constructed on the model to drive the concept of the

need for environmentally friendly fashion. She says:

“With the complex use of waste materials carefully

constructed directly onto the models’ form, the mean-

ing is constructed by injecting the materials directly

into the creative process.”

To celebrate the show, the hotel has devised a range

of Chen Man-inspired highlights including cocktails by

ABSOLUT VODKA - ‘ABSOLUT Femme Fatale’ and ‘AB-

SOLUT Jade’. The Swedish vodka brand has previously

collaborated with Chen Man on a special Chinese lim-

Chen Man Show AT MET BANGKOK IS NOW OPENThe first solo Bangkok show from the avant-garde Chinese fashion photographer will run until May 31st.

Reviewed by Vincent SungPhotos by Vincent Sung (Encounter Thailand)

ited edition vodka bottle ‘ABSOLUT 72’ in 2010. There’s

also an afternoon tea, available in the Met Bar or as

part of the in-room service in the Penthouse Suite,

which features a refreshing iced lychee, ginger and sil-

ver moon tea, pickled cucumber, lily bud steamed buns

and Chinese green tea brûlées. Guests staying in the

Chen Man Penthouse Suite will also receive a signed

book by Chen Man.

The exhibition is free to guests at the hotel and

customers at the Met Bar. An overnight stay in the

Chen Man Penthouse Suite will cost from THB 20,000.

Artwork will also be available to purchase through

Singapore-based Lisa Botos, of Ooi Botos, who specially

curated the exhibition.

Metropolitan by COMO, BangkokMetropolitan by COMO, Bangkok on South Sathorn

Road enjoys close proximity to Bangkok’s urban night-

life as well as shopping and the city’s Sky Train. The

171 rooms and suites, defined by subtle contemporary

design, offer cosseting luxury with attentive service.

The Met Bar is a lively bar well known for its DJs and

selection of martini cocktails. Australian chef David

Thompson delivers award-winning Thai cooking at

nahm restaurant whilst glow focuses on COMO Shamb-

hala Cuisine—a nutritious, healthful menu. Relaxation

is available at the hotel’s COMO Shambhala Urban

Escape, comprising Asian-inspired treatments, a gym,

yoga studio and 20m outdoor pool.

The Metropolitan Hotel Bangkok

www.metropolitan.como.bz

27 South Sathorn Road, Tungmahamek, Sathorn,

Bangkok 10120, Thailand

Tel. +66(0)2 625 3333

Fash

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ART & CULTURE

33Thailand

Chen Man in Bangkok Exhibition

Fash

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Photo by Jeep for Encounter Thailand

© Photo by Inga Beckman

© Photo by Inga Beckman