Buddhist painting, guardian of Thai history
For many centuries, Thai painting developed through the Buddhist religion, within temples and palaces, with the idea that it should serve to embellish the religious and royal objects that surrounded it. These paintings most often depict religious tales, the life of Buddha and popular scenes from everyday life. Painters used the three primary colors, white and black. Then, in the 19th century, the color palette broadened and new techniques appeared, notably the use of gold leaf.
The most popular representation is undoubtedly that of the Ramakien tale, a Thai adaptation of the Ramayana (the founding mythological tale of Hinduism, written over 2,000 years ago), which tells the story of a war between men and giants, metaphorically the victory of Good over Evil. Deeply rooted in the country's history, this legend has become a sacred national narrative, tracing the various phases in the construction of the Thai nation. An illustrated version of the legend can be found in Bangkok's Grand Palace, dating from the late 18th century (during the reign of Rama I). The 178 panels form a fresco 173 meters long and 3 meters high. The panels are read from left to right. A multitude of legendary characters populate these finely crafted images, making this a true masterpiece that speaks volumes about the country's history and architecture. Not to be missed.
Buddhist sculpture
The history of Thai sculpture is intertwined with that of its architecture, and most works are created for religious purposes, with representations of Buddha being the most numerous. Stone is the most common material, but nothing is too beautiful to pay homage to the Sage, and the most precious minerals and metals are also used for his cult. The first sculptures were made of stone or bronze and depicted Buddhist and Hindu divinities, as artists were obliged to respect certain rules laid down in India, the cradle of both religions. Virtually nothing is known about these early sculptors, as no names were left on the works.
Photography, an art that is becoming more popular
Although photography arrived in Thailand in 1845, just six years after the creation of the first daguerreotype, it remained an art reserved for the country's aristocracy and economic and intellectual elite until the Second World War. To admire Thailand's historic photographic archives, visit Chiang Mai House Photography, a reference point in the field. It was only after the war that the medium really opened up to ordinary citizens, becoming a means of artistic expression as well as an instrument of documentation and information.
The father of Thai photography is Chitt Chongmankhong (1922-2009), born in Bangkok into a modest family of Cantonese immigrants, and renowned for his innovative use of darkroom techniques. During his career, he traveled throughout Thailand, photographing its rural and urban landscapes, and highlighting its most humble populations. But his work sometimes takes a less conventional form, approaching surrealist collage and questioning photography as a medium. Initially unpopular within the Thai photographic community, the numerous international awards he received eventually helped him legitimize his work locally, to the point of becoming the most recognized artist of his time in the field.
Today, many Thai photographers are making their mark beyond the country's borders. Manit Sriwanichpoom and Michael Shaowanasai are two major figures in the genre, and are representative of the contemporary use of this medium to explore political issues, deconstructing traditional visual representations of power or giving a voice to the popular and marginalized classes.
Thai contemporary art, between tradition and modernity
Today, Thai art oscillates between tradition and modernity, with religion still occupying an important place despite numerous developments in recent decades. The late 1980s are generally considered to be the beginning of this period of remarkable change, which reached its creative peak in the 2000s and saw the development of a variety of genres, from installation to video art. Innovative artists asserted themselves, daring to break with traditional styles and norms and proposing radical new approaches, both artistically and politically.
One of the most important figures of this period was the politically committed Vasan Sitthiket, some of whose works are on show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Other big names in contemporary Thai art include Jirapat Tatsanasomboon, Rattana Salee and Rirkrit Tiravanija. Parallel to this creative outpouring, a number of art spaces have emerged, making a major contribution to establishing a certain unity in Thailand's contemporary scene. These include the Bangkok Art & Culture Centre, the Thailand Creative Design Centre, MOCA and the Bangkok University Gallery. Artistic activity is mainly concentrated in Bangkok, which is seeking to assert itself as a true cultural crossroads of Southeast Asia with its museums, galleries and events at Silpakorn University, which specializes in the arts - not forgetting, of course, the fledgling Bangkok Biennale, the first edition of which was held in 2019. To a lesser extent, many art galleries can also be found in Chiang Mai, which is gradually becoming Thailand's street art capital.
Street Art, a new means of artistic expression
In a country where political gatherings are forbidden, street art is a privileged means of political expression for artists, who use it to try to change people's consciences. Extremely popular, it can be found in many places in the capital - a veritable open-air gallery, which even dedicates official events to it. Since 2013, for example, the Bukruk Urban Arts Festival has been held in January, bringing together artists from all over the world. The city provides them with their own spaces - don't hesitate to consult the map of events on the website to discover the impressive frescoes that appear on this occasion. It's a great way to discover the city off the beaten track!
The best-known street art sites in Bangkok are those where the festival takes place: the Bangrak district and Chalerm La Park (graffiti park), but there are many other works in other districts. To discover the works in Bangrak, you need to start from Charoen Krung Road, one of Bangkok's main thoroughfares (the city's very first paved road!), then explore the surrounding alleyways, known for their cultural vitality. Alley Charoen Krung Soi 32, just past the Thailand Creation and Design Centre, is one of the most visited graffiti streets in the city! TheAlliance française is also active in this field, and supports numerous street art events in the capital, such as the Street-Urban Culture Highlight - don't hesitate to ask for their program. Among the great names to remember in local street art, here are the most popular figures: Headache Stencil, Alex Face, MueBon and Bonus TMC.
But Bangkok is not the only Thai city to shine in this field: Chiang Mai is also home to renowned local artists such as Sanchai, Mauy, Waris and Kanaet, to name but a few. Many of the city's frescoes are the fruit of collaboration between several artists, a particularity of the city. Contrary to what you might expect, the old town, home to most of the major temples and many historic sites, is also a favorite haunt of street artists, who are tolerantly welcomed by the locals. Chiang Mai may only be a fraction of the size of Bangkok, and is renowned above all for its historical heritage, but make no mistake: the capital is finding it increasingly difficult to compete with it in terms of street art!
