In Layers
Malee Naree
In Layers is an exploration of the many strata of the self and the emotions within, as seen through the artist’s inner gaze. Each work serves as a window that reveals the intricate depths of the mind—its light and shadow, tenderness and tension, fragility and hidden desires.
The exhibition invites viewers on an inward journey through nine artworks, each representing a distinct layer of being: from innocence, hope, and vulnerability to the confrontation with darkness, struggle, and empowerment. Every piece becomes a mirror reflecting both the luminous and the shadowed facets of life. The artist not only records overlapping emotions but also invites the audience to uncover their own “layers” through the stories embedded in each painting.
Together, these nine works form a visual diary of human experience—tracing the delicate passage from a little princess’s dream, the flutter of butterfly wings, to the profound encounter with the inner shadow. Humanity moves through transformation, loss, and resistance to rediscover a new strength—one that embraces both the light and the darkness within. Ultimately, In Layers transcends mere self-acceptance, gazing further ahead with the question: I am a Robot. In an age where technology and humanity blur into one another, the artist leaves us to ponder—can we still truly remain ourselves?
Malee Naree is the pseudonym of Watcharakoranan Panya, a Chiang Mai–born artist. In 2007, she attended her Bachelor’s degree in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University, and later completed her Master’s degree in Thai Art at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University, in 2016.
In 2019, she held her first solo exhibition, MALEE NAREE, which expressed themes of love, warmth, and the life-giving energy of womanhood through floral symbolism rendered in a Pop Surrealist style. Since then, her work has evolved to blend imagination, belief, and personal experience, using surreal symbolism and delicate, meticulous painting techniques to merge dreams with reality—revealing the fragility and beauty of the human spirit.
Her latest exhibition, In Layers (2025), invites viewers on an introspective journey to explore the fundamental questions of existence—love, fear, dreams, and the meaning of life. For her, art serves as both a mirror and a bridge that reconnects humanity with its deepest self, offering healing and spiritual refinement. She hopes her art will remain a small guiding light, leading people toward inner peace amidst the complexities of the modern world.
