In the United States each year we have a national poet laureate and the National Endowment for the Arts as a way for the government to support and recognize artists and the work that they create.
Since 1985, the Ministry of Culture has annually, on February 24 or “National Artist Day”, named a list of artists in Thailand as the National Artist of Thailand. The artists receive a 12,000 baht monthly salary (about $375, and more than I make), health expenses paid for, 15,000 baht towards funeral expenses and 120,000 baht for a memorial biography.
H.M. King Bhumibol Adulyadej was named “Supreme Artist” in 1986, for his accomplishments as a composer, photographer and painter. But who are some of the other National Artists of Thailand and what kind of works have they produced?
Thawan Dachanee
Thawan passed away a couple of weeks ago and I had the opportunity to visit his most famous work, Baan Dam or the Black House in Chiang Rai earlier this year, so he came to my mind first when I began to think about who to include in the highlights.
He was recognized as a National Artist of Thailand in 2001 and had studied art in Bangkok and Amsterdam. About 40 years ago, he painted his house black and began to add installations, display his paintings and opened it as a museum for the public to visit.
The installation made heavy use of animal skulls, horns, bones and hides and the complex was extremely interesting to stroll around and explore. He is also known for his paintings, which are displayed permanently at the Baan Daam and have been exhibited around the world.
Chakrabhand Posayakrit
Chakrabhand’s pieces are much more traditionally influenced, with his paintings depicting scenes from Thai literature and drawing inspiration from classical Thai music, Thai literature and the Khon.
He was named a National Artist of Thailand in 2000 and studied art in Bangkok. His recent works have included making of marionettes.
Kamol Tassananchlee
Kamol is a Thai artist that in the art world is pretty well known outside of Thailand. He has worked in a variety of mediums from paper making to mixed media to sculpture. In 1997, he received the honor of National Artist of Thailand and studied art in Bangkok and Los Angeles, where he currently lives and works.
He founded the Thai Arts Council in the U.S.A./Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena, Calif. and the Thai Art Center in Los Angeles. His works are decidedly more abstract and modern, with some drawing inspiration from his U.S. setting, others focusing on an exploration of himself through self-portrait and still others interpreting traditional Thai arts such as nang yaai.
Chuang Moolpinit
Chuang is the most recent National Artist of Thailand that I was able to find in my research, having been awarded the honor in 2013. Most of his work is freehand drawings with some watercolor and oil painting mixed in, as well as some sculpture.
He’s done illustrations for books and magazines as well as created movie posters, one of which was selected as one of the most beautiful by the National Theater Institute in London in 1983. Some of his works can be found in various public areas in Bangkok, such as at the Mongkhol Temple, for which he made bas relief and paintings for some of the decorations.
He opened a gallery, open to the public, in Bangkok to display his works.
