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Far beyond choosing artworks, Pojai Akratanakul curates ideas, memories and dialogues that connect artists and audiences.
Every exhibition tells the story of ideas taking shape, of artists and audiences finding connection through shared experience. At the centre of this dialogue is the curator, guiding how these stories unfold.
Often working behind the scenes, and little known to many, the curator plays a quiet yet significant role in shaping how we see, feel and remember art. With Pojai Akratanakul, we discover the deeper purpose of curating and the vision that guides her work.
“Art, in truth, can be so much more than just art itself,” Pojai reflects. “There are stories, theories and layers of meaning that go far beyond what we see in an artwork. I feel that the practice of curating really brings all of that together.”
When we hear the term art curator, many might imagine someone who selects artworks and artists to fill a space. But through our conversation with Pojai, we discover that curating is something more multidimensional.
Starting from such an inspiring perspective, it feels only right to begin by asking about her dream exhibition, a question that opens a window into her creative mind and her approach to curating.
“My dream art exhibition would be something that bridges two worlds: the past and the present,”
Pojai shares with a smile.
“I want to recreate exhibitions I’ve never experienced, or bring back artworks with historical meaning in Thailand and curate them in today’s context.”
It’s clear that for her curating isn’t just about finding great artists or beautiful works–it’s about uncovering the stories that connect them. She values the significance of artistic heritage in shaping contemporary creativity and aims to pass this legacy on to future generations–a principle that forms the core of her curatorial approach.
The Journey from Art Student to Curator
“Even during my undergraduate years, I already knew I didn’t want to be an artist,”
Pojai says.
“But I loved art history and learning from other artists’ works, so I started looking for a path that would let me stay close to the art world.”
Graduating with a degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts at Chulalongkorn University, Pojai traded her brushes and canvases for books on art history, drawn to the stories and meanings behind each artwork. Her curiosity led her to the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), where she began as an assistant curator. During BACC’s first exhibition on Southeast Asian art, she discovered her true passion: telling the story of art. That experience took her to New York University, where she pursued an MA in Visual Arts Administration in 2014. Her studies covered curatorial practice, museum education and exhibition design. During this time, she also interned with several institutions, including Tyler Rollins Fine Art, the Guggenheim Museum, Independent Curators International and the SculptureCenter.
“When I applied for an internship at Independent Curators International, a travelling exhibition organisation without a permanent space, they happened to be hosting a show and books by Apichatpong Weerasethakul. It felt almost destined, since they were specifically looking for someone familiar with him, and as a Thai person living in New York, it was a perfect fit.”
Pojai shares that she tried to gain as much experience as possible before returning to Thailand. From all those years of hard work, she says the most valuable skill she developed was, perhaps surprisingly, project management, something that has become essential in her work today. This reveals that curating goes beyond having an eye for beauty; it also requires a deep understanding of how to organise and manage space effectively.
“Studying in New York really broadened my perspective on this career path. The art scene there is so dynamic and fully developed and among the finest in the world. I was able to see how the ecosystem operates: what defines a museum, how non-profit and commercial galleries differ, and how each contributes to the wider art landscape. Compared to Thailand at the time, the gap was huge but that realisation inspired me to work even harder.”
When Pojai returned to Thailand, her strong work ethic continued to drive her forward. She went on to work with several major art institutions, including Sansab Museum of Contemporary Art as a Project Director, and River Museum Bangkok as a Curator and Assistant Manager in the Exhibition and Program Department. She also joined one of the country’s most prominent art events, the Bangkok Art Biennale (BAB), where she served as Assistant Curator for the 2020 and 2022 editions, before stepping up as Curator in 2024.
“It was such a special experience to work with emerging artists, building everything from the ground up. We collaborated on research and had the incredible opportunity to work alongside world-renowned artists I never imagined I would meet like Ai Weiwei, Yoko Ono, Bill Viola and Antony Gormley. I feel proud because this experience contributed directly and indirectly to the development of contemporary art in Thailand.”
The Art of Curating: Giving Thai and International Artists a Voice
“I started my journey as a curator in 2013, when there weren’t many people doing it yet,”
she recalls.
“Back then every exhibition space felt familiar because you kept seeing the same faces. But now the scene has grown. Still, being a curator isn’t something you become just by graduating from university. Especially in Thailand, where the art scene is still developing, it means you have to be able to handle everything behind one event from concept to execution.”
Nowadays, Pojai works as an independent curator, collaborating with emerging artists in Thailand as well as international artists. She supports local artists from the very beginning, from conducting research and advising on their work to helping organise and host exhibitions. For her, this is a way to contribute to the growth of the Thai art scene.
“When working with BAB, it was a large project tied to a specific theme that we had to adapt to. For example, in the 2024 edition, the theme was Nurture Gaia. I conducted research to find women artists whose work revolves around the wildness or intensity of femininity.
On the other hand, working as an independent curator is different. Collaborating directly with artists means you have to find the best way to put a spotlight on their work, shape a narrative around the pieces, and communicate their story so audiences can understand and engage with it.”
With her latest project, What Cannot Be Forgotten, Must Be Celebrated, a survey exhibition of works by Martin Constable at Bangkok University Gallery (BUG), she explores how art can communicate with audiences and how the works can teach students and visitors to connect with Constable’s practice.
“So to answer the question of what a curator does, in my opinion, it’s about finding the concept or the best way to communicate with the audience. It’s about understanding how a work speaks to people and how deeply they can engage with it. A curator serves as a bridge between the artist and the audience, acting as a force that connects the two and helps develop the art scene.”
What Cannot Be Forgotten, Must Be Celebrated is the latest project where you can experience her work, running from 14 October to 29 November. If you miss that, coming up are two exhibitions that showcase her collaborations with emerging Thai artists, where she’s deeply involved in the research and creative process. Each project reflects her dedication, passion and thoughtful approach to curating meaningful dispays.There’s flower photographer Naraphat ‘Ball’ Sakarthornsap, whose exhibition focuses on orchids and will be shown at SAC Gallery at the end of this year. The other, set to open around January 2026 at Warin Lab, is by Kanokwan ‘Eng’ Sutthang, an emerging artist whose work explores the world of tiny creatures like weevils in rice, and provides a look at the small and often overlooked.
