University of North Texas 
Narong Tintamusik interacts with materials used in the creation of "Residue," weaving
together sculptural forms inspired by Thai textile traditions, ritual practices and
the transformative effects of time, weather and natural processes. Photo courtesy
of the artist.
Studio Art Alum Narong Tintamusik Opens Solo Exhibition at Nasher Sculpture Center
The Tintamusik's solo exhibition, "Residue," combines sculpture, sound and traditional Thai techniques to explore memory, care and survival in an imagined future.
Narong Tintamusik
Curated by Sydney Smith, assistant curator at the Nasher Sculpture Center, the exhibition transforms copper
and brass metal mesh into a large-scale sculptural and sonic environment that reflects
on ritual, resilience and cultural memory.
Tintamusik, a Dallas-based artist, treats industrial metal mesh as a textile, drawing
from Thai weaving, dyeing, basketry and enameling traditions. The materials undergo
an extended process in which they are patinated using ingredients commonly found in
Thai cuisine, including coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce and shrimp paste. The
metal is then exposed to sunlight and weather over several months, allowing environmental
conditions to shape its evolving surface.
"Residue" began as a series of sonic and sculptural experiments conducted outdoors
across changing seasons. As Tintamusik worked with the materials, he collected fragments
of processed metal and recordings of the sounds generated through his studio practice.
Those recordings became the foundation for an original exhibition score composed by
collaborator Saun Santipreecha.
The resulting installation features a large coiled form whose tendrils unfurl into
leaf-like shapes. Throughout the gallery, sound and sculpture work together to create
an immersive environment that blurs the boundaries between abstraction and representation,
inviting visitors to consider their relationship to the spaces, materials and people
around them.
What emerges is an environment shaped by ritual, care and the traces left behind.
The exhibition also reflects Tintamusik's ongoing interest in speculative futures.
In "Residue," he imagines a world shaped by ecological and infrastructural collapse,
where communities preserve culture, spirituality and survival through traditional
craft, cuisine and Buddhist-animist beliefs. Reclaimed copper and brass mesh — once
used in industrial filtration and construction — are transformed into symbols of protection,
purification and collective care.
In addition to "Residue," Tintamusik's solo exhibition, "Where the Spirit Settles,"
is on view at the UNT Murchison Performing Arts Center in Denton through Sept. 19,
2026.
Photos by Pablo Cruz, UNT CVAD 2025 M.F.A., courtesy of the artist.