Thailand was confronted with a question this week that’s not typically discussed in the mainstream: what is considered art, specifically when it involves nudity, and when does it cross a line?
The subject of the debate, Jilamiga “Fah” Chalermsuk, the managing director of Jill Mika and Fracora — premium imported cosmetic distributor brands — was yesterday forced to defend a series of Instagram photos she posted after they sparked a heated debate amongst Thai citizens.
In an interview with Amarin TV, Jilamiga says she doesn’t consider the yoga poses provocative or even “sexy”, given that her private parts are never visible.
“This is called abstract nude art of the human body … There is no editing or additional photoshop. It relies purely on the contortion of one’s body. We did it in the nude so every detail of the muscles can be shown,” she says, adding that this is an acceptable and popular art form in the West.
“You can see my bones, my scars … How is that sexy?”
The discussion began simmering when Jilamiga shared behind-the-scenes photos of what she said was a thesis project by a female Fine Arts student from Chiang Mai University late last month.
But the debate only really intensified two days ago, when Jilamiga shared the finished products on her Instagram account.
While plenty of positive feedback poured in, agreeing this is art while commending her grace, talent and flexibility, the photoshoot also gained a fair amount of criticism — mostly targeting the fact that she was nude.
“Does yoga entail spreading your pussy and flashing ass like this? How can this still be considered art? Don’t you have any shame left? When many yoga gurus do these kind of photo shoots, they don’t get naked. What do you really want to prove or showcase with this photoshoot?” wrote one commenter.
“Why do pretty girls love getting naked? Or is the old saying ‘you could be as beautiful as an angel, but you still have to strip down to be appreciated by mortal men’ true?” wrote another. (Editor: Wait, that’s an old saying? Eeesh.)
Jilamiga is no stranger to scandals. Just two years ago, her life was turned upside down when a sex tape with her boyfriend at the time leaked to the internet.
During an exclusive broadcast interview to address the scandal at the time, she revealed that she was so distressed by the consequences of the leaked sex tape that she debated taking her own life.
Yet, in the long run, her scandal doesn’t seem to have affected her work or dedicated yoga practice as evidenced by the success of her companies.
Jilamiga stands by her hard work, alleging that the photoshoot took a total six hours.
Reader Interactions