MUEBON “WHAAM!”
September 10th – October 1st 2022

Black Book Gallery is pleased to present WHAAM!, the first U.S solo exhibition by Bangkok-based artist MUEBON, a prolific street artist who first gained attention in the early 2000s under the moniker BON. The opening reception will take place on Saturday, September 10th from 7pm – 10pm and is free and open to the public. The artist will be present, the exhibition will remain on view until October 1st.

In Thai, the word Muebon is a semi-pejorative term used to describe, essentially, attention deficit disorder. According to the artist, MUEBON means “restless hands or hands that are constantly fiddling, scribbling, and causing a mess.” Bon, however, means “good” in French. The artist sees this linguistic dichotomy as an extension of the friction between East and West—which manifests in the two hemispheres’ divergent cultural and spiritual philosophies.

MUEBON’s work reflects this cultural tension—in playful and mischievous variations on the theme. His signature characters are impossibly cute, wide-eyed birds that conjure Dennis the Menace and other pre-teen personas. These adorable troublemakers symbolize society’s collective inner child, a tribute to the naivete and innocence that accompanies enduring youth.

By integrating his own trademarked birds with references to the colorful specters of Pop Art—Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, and Roy Lichtenstein — MUEBON’s work interrogates Western concepts of value, art historical memes, and authorship in the era of cultural appropriation. In contemporary culture, the sacred and profane are engaged in an endless tug-of-war, caught between the opposing poles of mass populism and esoteric individuality.

Pop Art elevated the imagery and symbolism of mass consumerism and advertising to the pinnacle of high culture, turning comic strips and ordinary household products into post-modern vessels of gen-pop existentialism. MUEBON’s work channels this zeitgeist, while questioning the origins of those same belief systems that continue to dictate Eastern and Western ideals.

MUEBON recounts the story of an Asian pop star, who believed she had uncovered a suite of original Warhol works in a tiny European antique shop. She was later visited in a dream by the ghost of Warhol, who confirmed that the artworks were authentic. Sadly, Warhol’s estate subsequently condemned the works as cheap knock-offs, which the pop star simply refused to believe. She then built a shrine to the masters of Pop Art, where the spirits of these dead artists were invoked to protect their legacies and ensure their works were not lost to misattribution.

To MUEBON, this story (derived from an actual news story about an actual pop star who believed, falsely, she had found an actual Van Gough) represents the unwavering—and potentially blinding—power of faith, whether manifested in a dream, an archaic religious text passed down for millenia, or other sources of folklore.

Today, with the viral dissemination of fake news and disaster porn, psychological warfare and propaganda spawned online and spread globally through social media—attempting to separate reality from fiction is an increasingly losing game. When faith replaces fact as the prevailing basis for truth, the effects reverberate across society, threatening mass self-destruction—like a cult leader demanding that their followers drink the kool-aid “for their own good.”

MUEBON’s work challenges this tradition, disarming it with his cute-bird-army of philosophical dissidents. Worshiping at the altar of Pop Art, Muebon’s birds both celebrate and undermine the gods of art history. His work pays homage to these iconoclasts—a tribute that’s devotional yet irreverent—and the union of East and West, sacred and profane, channeling the duality inherent to all living creatures, both great and small.

MUEBON was born in Thailand and grew up in the slums of Thonburi. He studied art at the Rajamangala Institute of Technology and graduated with honors in 2005. His street art origins are a democratic testament to his difficult childhood, burdened by poverty with little access to the fine arts. He has since collaborated with luxury brands such as Hermes and exhibited worldwide from California to Moscow to Tokyo. To preview available works, please contact the gallery.

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MUEBON
The Hidden Chains
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 43 x 59 Inches / 110 x 150 Centimeters

MUEBON
Peel Slowly and See
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 59 x 51 Inches / 150 x 130 Centimeters

MUEBON
Debo Street 101 (Red)
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 39 x 27 Inches / 100 x 70 Centimeters

MUEBON
Debo Street 102 (Pink)
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 39 x 27 Inches / 100 x 70 Centimeters

MUEBON
Debo Street 103 (Green)
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 39 x 27 Inches / 100 x 70 Centimeters

MUEBON
Debo Street 104 (Blue)
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 39 x 27 Inches / 100 x 70 Centimeters
Year: 2022
Availability: Inquire

MUEBON
Sarkhan City
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 55 x 59 Inches / 140 x 150 Centimeters

MUEBON
Incoming Call
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 31 x 23 Inches / 80 x 60 Centimeters

MUEBON
2 + 2 = 5
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 35 x 39 Inches / 90 x 100 Centimeters

MUEBON
WHAAM! (Diptych)
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: Total 92 x 39 Inches / 236 x 100 Centimeters
Left/Right 46 x 39 Inches Each / 118 x 100 Centimeters Each

MUEBON
Walk The Dog
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 51 x 59 Inches / 130 x 150 Centimeters

MUEBON
O.O.T. Crew (Diptych)
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: Left+Right 23 x 31 Inches / 60 x 80 Centimeters
Total 46 x 31 Inches / 120 x 80 Centimeters

MUEBON
The Endless Burn
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 23 x 15 Inches / 60 x 40 Centimeters

MUEBON
Toys
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 15 x 19 Inches / 40 x 50 Centimeters

MUEBON
Sneaky Boys
Media: Acrylic, gouache and spray paint on linen
Size: 31 x 23 Inches / 80 x 60 Centimeters

MUEBON & Julio Alejandro
Untitled
Media: Acrylic, mixed media and spray paint on wood panel
Size: 59 x 48 Inches

MUEBON
Tomyum (Pastel)
Media: Spray paint on canvas
Size: 18 x 24 Inches / 45.7 x 61 Centimeters

MUEBON
Tomyum (White)
Media: Spray paint on canvas
Size: 18 x 24 Inches / 45.7 x 61 Centimeters
UNIQUE
Year: 2022
Availability: Inquire

MUEBON
Tomyum (Neon)
Media: Spray paint on canvas
Size: 18 x 24 Inches / 45.7 x 61 Centimeters
UNIQUE

MUEBON
Panacea.2022
Media: 4-color hand-pulled screen print on Superfine Eggshell White 270gsm – Deckled Edges
Size: 15.7 x 20.2 Inches / 40 x 51.5 Centimeters
Edition: 300 – Signed & Numbered
Only 10 available!
Year: 2022
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

MUEBON
Outlaw Man.(Sketch 1)
Media: 4-color hand-pulled screen print on Superfine Eggshell White 270gsm – Deckled Edges
Size: 15.7 x 19.3 Inches / 40 x 49.2 Centimeters
Edition: 300 – Signed & Numbered
Only 10 available!
Year: 2022
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

MUEBON
Tomyum (Paper)
Media: Spray paint on paper
Size: 9 x 12 Inches / 22.8 x 30.5 Centimeters
Edition: 30 – Signed & Numbered
Year: 2022
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE

MUEBON
Tomyum (Canvas)
Media: Spray paint on canvas
Signed – Each unique
Size: 9 x 12 Inches / 22.8 x 30.5 Centimeters
Year: 2022
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE