CONFRONTING images dominate a new art exhibition, 'Half-Truth', on Phuket. The works by Sutee Kunavichayanont are designed to provoke.

We've been given the middle finger more than once as an expression of anger or frustration, but never this elegantly.

Khun Sutee, a professor of art at Silpakorn University, gives us all the finger in a variety of engaging ways.

He also gives us the hated Nazi flag, as well as a fresh take on the Thai wai. He's done it his wai. Cleverly using neons, some of his works are made to be switched on.

''Bad side and good side, we see a lot of that every day,'' said the professor, who also studied at the University of Sydney.

Fourteen of his provocative pieces are on show at the Phuket 346 Gallery at 346 Phuket Road in Phuket City.

He uses a variety of mediums, including neon, gold leaf and paint on canvas and laser-cut metal sheets.

It's a striking exhibition, well worth catching, if you don't mind being given the middle finger.

One of the exhibits has two life-sizes sculptures of Ajarn Sutee, one black and one white, squaring up to each other in boxing trunks.

One pair of boxing trunks is marked LIFE and the other is ART. There's no telling which one is likely to win that bout.

The gallery is open from 1pm to 9pm every day. Admission is free. There's a bar and coffee shop attached and guestrooms upstairs.