The conflicts of the 21st century world are the subject of Mr. Sajja Sajjakul’s paintings. The artist sees himself as “an observer and critic,” and his detailed images document the destruction of nature and the collapse of traditional ways of life that portray society and political injustices, cultural conflict and pressure which modern life demands of us. In his paintings, objects and people from different eras and levels of existence are brought together in scenes that seem to take place outside any average conception of time. The inner world of dreams and cultural memory is made to contend with a dystopian environment that threatens to overwhelm it. Working in oils on canvas, he uses the rich tones that oils provide to give his paintings a strong physical presence. That presence is enhanced by his skill at rendering lifelike figures and his sharp eye for manipulating proportion and scale, which often creates a sense of threat or uncertainty. The resulting works transform standard notions of realism into a uniquely expressive form. “I try to reach beyond the borders—language, religions or traditions,” he says, and his paintings realize that goal. The artist lives and works in Thailand.