My name is Dr. Natthakhet Yaemim, M.D., called Dr. Deyn, I am the founder and CEO of PULSE Social Enterprise, a pan-Asian network of lifestyle clinics and services, and a research physician at Maastricht University, The Netherlands. PULSE’s mission is to promote and provide excellence in standards of care and education in lifestyles medicine, HIV and co-infections, normalizing sexual wellbeing and to actively engage in the formulation of public health policy, with the aim of eradicating the HIV burden in across the region. Dr. Deyn is responsible for the overall management and operations of PULSE Clinic International, PULSE Tech and Innovation and PULSE Gallery.
My passion for being an artist has always been as strong as that for being a doctor. As an infant, my father would hold my hand and teach me how draw animals such as fish and horses, and to use a paint brush. My family owned a tea shop next to the Nakhon Si Thammarat Art and Craft College and often students would hang out at the tea shop and have lively chats with me. Maleehuana, a famous Thai folk band, graduated from this college, their fame, along with renowned artists and famous alumni drew national attention, and large crowds, to exhibitions, providing me further engagement and exposure to art as a young boy and teenager.
From a young age, and with a dream of being a doctor, I studied nudes in library medical texts and encyclopedias. It was a was perfect way to appreciate the beauty of the human form and the beauty of the artists representation of the human body. In addition, passing through the college provided the opportunity to study the sculptures of David, the Bodhisattva and apsara, revealing of their beautiful nakedness.
Working in a variety of mediums and an innate sense of the palette, I use shape, form and color to reflect my mental formation and sometimes I paint as my visual diary keeping my memories alive.
My first solo exhibition “Now Calling ...” was held at ASS (Art Space Silom). The exhibition featured acrylic on canvas and mixed media, with the works being completed while I traveled through South America, Europe and Asia in 2022. When the world gets in trouble, either the world outside, or our inside world is turning upside down, or when there's no-one else around and we find ourselves alone, we listen to the call inside our heart, deep down in our soul. Doing this we can allow ourself to connect with our inner world, make peace with oneself, and follow our dreams and passions. When someone wants to connect with us, calling rather than texting, creates a more meaningful experience. We know we are wanted, and missed, and that the caller truly cares, giving us their time and attention. The sound of our voice, even without the visual cues, allows for deeper bonding. Auditorial communication creates a significantly stronger connection.” So, “Now Calling ...”.
My second the solo exhibition, “I Can Buy Myself Flowers” was first shown at the Mango Art Festival, May 2023 and is now being shown at PULSE Gallery, Phromphong.
In addition, I was part of two previous group exhibitions, “Sex and Spirituality” in Vienna (May 2022) and “KinkyBKK” in Bangkok (September 2022).
Furthermore, I was selected to participate in the Clifford Chance Hong Kong Arcus Pride Art 2023 exhibition. The exhibition showcases the artwork of eight emerging artists from LOVE, an LGBTQ+ focus artist collective based in Hong Kong. The exhibition was curated by Kalen Wing Ki Lee, in collaboration with Fiona Ho and Natalie Ng from Odds and Ends.
Established in 2022, Odds and Ends is a contemporary art gallery in Hong Kong that showcases local and international emerging artists, with a focus on Asian diasporic artists. The mission of the gallery is to nurture new talents through a rigorous exhibition program and promote cross-disciplinary collaborations.
Recently I was also selected as a finalist in the Positive Art Exhibition at the 19th European AIDS Conference, in Warsaw, 18-21 October 2023. Winners will be announced after the conference in October.
Recently I have been invited to participate and donate in the annual amfAR art auctions. The auctions are held annually in global locations with the headline event in Cannes during the annual Cannes Film Festival and additional auctions in Venice, Macau, New York and various USA cities. Proceeds are used specifically for HIV research. Established artists donate works which are auctioned to a select audience and sell for 5 to 7 figures in USD. I was invited to the Cannes 2023 gala dinner and where I was introduced to a member of the art community and gained perspective on the type of work to produce to contribute to future auctions.
Besides recognition for my work in acrylic on paper and canvas, as Dr. Deyn I am known for art curation of art exhibitions at PULSE Galleries.