Infinity in the Lanna Village
So I’ve been in Chiang Rai, in further northern Thailand, since Thursday morning. Returning to Chiang Mai this afternoon felt like a sort of homecoming- same guest house (cheaper room), same scooter rental service, same festive Sunday market atmosphere. I will catch-up and write about Chiang Rai, where I spent my birthday in the company of some more excellent northern artists, later this week. Thanks to all of you who sent birthday wishes- it was much appreciated!
There are many different kinds of spiritual paths. I loved Father Wayne Teasdale’s explanation of them in The Mystic Heart. He speaks of devotional (Bakti) paths- those in which the practitioner expresses his or her love for the deity or spirit. There are karma paths- paths of action- of good works in service of the object of devotion. There are paths of scholarly knowledge and teaching- Raja yoga. There are also noetic (or Gnostic) paths- those that pursue a direct experience or knowledge of the energies of spirit in one of its many manifestations- these are also called mystic paths. I admit that I find the later the easiest to relate to, as my own practice is fundamentally about the experience of spirit or grace or presence or whatever you choose to call it. This probably comes through in my writing so far about how artists personalize their spiritual experience through art. Yet, as I continue this exploration, I continue to find artists expressing joy and extremely personal work through paths (in Thailand, especially devotional paths) that I don’t personally understand or embrace as strongly. It is certainly an opening for me.
So, picking up where I left off over a week ago…Returning to Chiang Mai, I spent last Thursday morning with Tawachai Somkong. I had seen Taiwachai’s work on various websites, and was fascinated by his clear interest in spiritual themes, yet the complete absence of traditional Buddhist symbolism/narrative in his work- even in early work. Taiwachai is close friends with Alongkorn, whose work I wrote about in the last entry. What I knew about Tawachai before meeting him was that he is very connected in the Thai art world. On Thursday I found out two other extraordinary facts about him. First, he did not set out to be an artist, but rather, a teacher. Yet he and I share in common a difficulty with early morning appointments- and the waking up that precedes them. As a result, he left the teaching profession after a year and, like Alongkorn, went to India to continue his studies in Art and Eastern Religions, spending five years at Kala-Bhavana, Visva Brarati in Santiniketan near Calcutta.
His work deals with the travails of a set of abstract forms- particularly a lotus image and the stupa, (a dome-shaped monument used to house relics in Buddhism and Jainism), as well as an oblong (donut-like) set of “lips”- perhaps representing the masculine and feminine principles journeying through the travails of a spiritual path. His work is experiential, in a way that occasionally invokes the narrative of Buddhist spirituality, but is largely free of traditional forms and images characteristic of much Thai spiritual art. As such, his work comes across as both whimsical- he confesses a love for cartoons- and deeply personal. His Ecstasy Land works, produced while still based in India, were a gateway…more recent works continue the themes. I'm looking forward to writing more about Taiwatchai's work and perspective in the future.
Three Works by Taiwatchai Somkong...the last being the one that really drew me to his work...
Tawatchai also invited me to submit an article on Ernst Fuchs' visit to Thailand in his capacity as Publisher of Fine Art Magazine (Thailand). It may appear in the next issue, along with photos of the event from the gallery seen here.
So…courtesy of Tawatchai, I met with three artists on Friday who are somewhat more devotional in their approaches.
Ahjan Surasit Saokong is a senior artist and art teacher at Rajamangkala Institute of Technology in Chiang Mai. I visited his home studio where his wife (who speaks excellent English) provided translation for a long chat. Ahjan Surasit’s work has
focused on a single series since 1979- titled “Serenity.” In fact, serenity oozes from Surasit’s pores. Exploring the play of light and shadow in hyper-real Northern Thailand temple environments is his goal, with his Buddhist faith represented in each piece by a single light source shattering the darkness of the surroundings and providing a point of emanating warmth. He commented that his interest is in creating something that is “better than real,” and that this reflect the inner state of peace that he achieves through painting and imagining these scenes. Surasit shared that many people want to visit the temples he paints- and he has to admit that they don’t exist as depicted- only in his imagination. I do not have a scan of the scene I myself wanted to visit- a cave-temple carved into the side of a mountain overhanging a lush jungle and river. It was compelling.
I asked whether Surasit had himself become more serene since he began this career-defining series and he said yes, without a doubt. Ahjan Surasit is, in fact, an adored teacher of many of the most accomplished Northern Thai artists, and a very successful and widely exhibited artist in Thailand in his own right. His retrospective book was published in 2005. Below, one of Surasit’s works from the series, “Serenity,” photographed in his home.
I was met at Surasit’s home by Pornchai Jamai, who ranks as one of the warmest, most cordial, and most genuine people I’ve met so far on this trip. Not only did he agree to meet with me, host me for lunch, and and escort me to the home of another artist, Arnan Rachawangin, but he did so with little confidence in his English language skills, telling Tawatchai, “OK…I’ll try.” Let me say that his English is thousands of times superior to my Thai, and we managed very well throughout the day. I know that he exerted a lot of effort on Friday, so I want to thank him straight away. But before we turn to Pornchai’s work…we visited the home and studio of Arnan Rachawangin, another younger Thai artist whose “Northern Style” work depicts the harmony in the practice of northern (Lanna-style) Buddhism. Arnan is pictured below with his recent work “The Young Monk.” We spent only about an hour with Arnan, but it is clear that the joy he expresses in his presentation of these scenes is authentic and natural. Almost innocent. This natural quality- purity of experience and expression- is something that is emerging as a distinct feature of Northern Thai artists I’ve met.
My afternoon with Pornchai consisted of 30 km journey to his home and studio, which sits surrounded by rice paddies, a long, slow lunch at his home/gallery studio, and a drive around the countryside north of Chiang Mai, which included stops at
the the Wat (temple) he is building and at another Wat where he and Alongkorn did mural paintings in the Wat’s chapel. What an afternoon. Pornchai paints in the Lanna (Northern) tradition of Thai traditional arts, though he spent several (9 or 11- will check notes) years in Bangkok at Silpakorn University, during which time he gained some renown for his emerging style. His proudest accomplishments include the construction of a Wat near his home and mural paintings in nine Wats around the north of Thailand. He also received an award from the World Buddhist Federation as an “Outstanding Person who Supports Buddhism.”
While at Silpakorn, Pornchai explored modern and abstract painting styles, but the bulk of his work- and that for which he
has received the most acclaim- falls into two styles. First, the vivid and ethereal pieces depicting temple scenes and Buddhist Dhamma, such as the first two pictures below. I loved the elephant/Buddha piece, though the photo isn’t quite up to snuff.
The other style he has mastered- and I mean unlike anything else I’ve seen, are the Lanna-style temple and village scenes, which are characteristic of his mural work. These are big, big, big pieces- think chapel and temple wall- depicting the celebratory ongoings in a Lanna village, also mixed with Buddhist Dhamma. The detail is amazing, the continuity out-of-this world, and the unconditioned sincerity of the work is not in doubt. There is no way for me to present these in their full glory, but you may get the idea from the image below, from one of his Wat murals, and the astounding detail in the background of his picture (above). Infinity in the Lanna Village.
I have learned that building the Wat is a big milestone and accomplishment among Buddhist artists in Northern Thailand, and an important way of giving back to the communities where they find their roots. Pornchai’s wat includes a background mural and door handles by his good friend Alongkorn, but the plan, the detail, and the Lanna-style woodcarvings that are ubiquitous in the Wat are all his, and a sculpture garden that is in progress depicting the animals representing the years on the lunar calendar. Pornchai’s father (deceased) was a skilled woodcarver, and this seems to have influenced his taste for traditional arts strongly.
So again, back in Chiang Mai, I'm off this afternoon to photograph another artist and his works, and I hope to be caught up to the present (or nearly so) by tomorrow afternoon. Come back soon, and tell your friends!
There are many different kinds of spiritual paths. I loved Father Wayne Teasdale’s explanation of them in The Mystic Heart. He speaks of devotional (Bakti) paths- those in which the practitioner expresses his or her love for the deity or spirit. There are karma paths- paths of action- of good works in service of the object of devotion. There are paths of scholarly knowledge and teaching- Raja yoga. There are also noetic (or Gnostic) paths- those that pursue a direct experience or knowledge of the energies of spirit in one of its many manifestations- these are also called mystic paths. I admit that I find the later the easiest to relate to, as my own practice is fundamentally about the experience of spirit or grace or presence or whatever you choose to call it. This probably comes through in my writing so far about how artists personalize their spiritual experience through art. Yet, as I continue this exploration, I continue to find artists expressing joy and extremely personal work through paths (in Thailand, especially devotional paths) that I don’t personally understand or embrace as strongly. It is certainly an opening for me.
So, picking up where I left off over a week ago…Returning to Chiang Mai, I spent last Thursday morning with Tawachai Somkong. I had seen Taiwachai’s work on various websites, and was fascinated by his clear interest in spiritual themes, yet the complete absence of traditional Buddhist symbolism/narrative in his work- even in early work. Taiwachai is close friends with Alongkorn, whose work I wrote about in the last entry. What I knew about Tawachai before meeting him was that he is very connected in the Thai art world. On Thursday I found out two other extraordinary facts about him. First, he did not set out to be an artist, but rather, a teacher. Yet he and I share in common a difficulty with early morning appointments- and the waking up that precedes them. As a result, he left the teaching profession after a year and, like Alongkorn, went to India to continue his studies in Art and Eastern Religions, spending five years at Kala-Bhavana, Visva Brarati in Santiniketan near Calcutta.
His work deals with the travails of a set of abstract forms- particularly a lotus image and the stupa, (a dome-shaped monument used to house relics in Buddhism and Jainism), as well as an oblong (donut-like) set of “lips”- perhaps representing the masculine and feminine principles journeying through the travails of a spiritual path. His work is experiential, in a way that occasionally invokes the narrative of Buddhist spirituality, but is largely free of traditional forms and images characteristic of much Thai spiritual art. As such, his work comes across as both whimsical- he confesses a love for cartoons- and deeply personal. His Ecstasy Land works, produced while still based in India, were a gateway…more recent works continue the themes. I'm looking forward to writing more about Taiwatchai's work and perspective in the future.
Three Works by Taiwatchai Somkong...the last being the one that really drew me to his work...
Tawatchai also invited me to submit an article on Ernst Fuchs' visit to Thailand in his capacity as Publisher of Fine Art Magazine (Thailand). It may appear in the next issue, along with photos of the event from the gallery seen here.
So…courtesy of Tawatchai, I met with three artists on Friday who are somewhat more devotional in their approaches.
Ahjan Surasit Saokong is a senior artist and art teacher at Rajamangkala Institute of Technology in Chiang Mai. I visited his home studio where his wife (who speaks excellent English) provided translation for a long chat. Ahjan Surasit’s work has
focused on a single series since 1979- titled “Serenity.” In fact, serenity oozes from Surasit’s pores. Exploring the play of light and shadow in hyper-real Northern Thailand temple environments is his goal, with his Buddhist faith represented in each piece by a single light source shattering the darkness of the surroundings and providing a point of emanating warmth. He commented that his interest is in creating something that is “better than real,” and that this reflect the inner state of peace that he achieves through painting and imagining these scenes. Surasit shared that many people want to visit the temples he paints- and he has to admit that they don’t exist as depicted- only in his imagination. I do not have a scan of the scene I myself wanted to visit- a cave-temple carved into the side of a mountain overhanging a lush jungle and river. It was compelling.I asked whether Surasit had himself become more serene since he began this career-defining series and he said yes, without a doubt. Ahjan Surasit is, in fact, an adored teacher of many of the most accomplished Northern Thai artists, and a very successful and widely exhibited artist in Thailand in his own right. His retrospective book was published in 2005. Below, one of Surasit’s works from the series, “Serenity,” photographed in his home.
I was met at Surasit’s home by Pornchai Jamai, who ranks as one of the warmest, most cordial, and most genuine people I’ve met so far on this trip. Not only did he agree to meet with me, host me for lunch, and and escort me to the home of another artist, Arnan Rachawangin, but he did so with little confidence in his English language skills, telling Tawatchai, “OK…I’ll try.” Let me say that his English is thousands of times superior to my Thai, and we managed very well throughout the day. I know that he exerted a lot of effort on Friday, so I want to thank him straight away. But before we turn to Pornchai’s work…we visited the home and studio of Arnan Rachawangin, another younger Thai artist whose “Northern Style” work depicts the harmony in the practice of northern (Lanna-style) Buddhism. Arnan is pictured below with his recent work “The Young Monk.” We spent only about an hour with Arnan, but it is clear that the joy he expresses in his presentation of these scenes is authentic and natural. Almost innocent. This natural quality- purity of experience and expression- is something that is emerging as a distinct feature of Northern Thai artists I’ve met.
My afternoon with Pornchai consisted of 30 km journey to his home and studio, which sits surrounded by rice paddies, a long, slow lunch at his home/gallery studio, and a drive around the countryside north of Chiang Mai, which included stops at
the the Wat (temple) he is building and at another Wat where he and Alongkorn did mural paintings in the Wat’s chapel. What an afternoon. Pornchai paints in the Lanna (Northern) tradition of Thai traditional arts, though he spent several (9 or 11- will check notes) years in Bangkok at Silpakorn University, during which time he gained some renown for his emerging style. His proudest accomplishments include the construction of a Wat near his home and mural paintings in nine Wats around the north of Thailand. He also received an award from the World Buddhist Federation as an “Outstanding Person who Supports Buddhism.” While at Silpakorn, Pornchai explored modern and abstract painting styles, but the bulk of his work- and that for which he
has received the most acclaim- falls into two styles. First, the vivid and ethereal pieces depicting temple scenes and Buddhist Dhamma, such as the first two pictures below. I loved the elephant/Buddha piece, though the photo isn’t quite up to snuff.
The other style he has mastered- and I mean unlike anything else I’ve seen, are the Lanna-style temple and village scenes, which are characteristic of his mural work. These are big, big, big pieces- think chapel and temple wall- depicting the celebratory ongoings in a Lanna village, also mixed with Buddhist Dhamma. The detail is amazing, the continuity out-of-this world, and the unconditioned sincerity of the work is not in doubt. There is no way for me to present these in their full glory, but you may get the idea from the image below, from one of his Wat murals, and the astounding detail in the background of his picture (above). Infinity in the Lanna Village.
I have learned that building the Wat is a big milestone and accomplishment among Buddhist artists in Northern Thailand, and an important way of giving back to the communities where they find their roots. Pornchai’s wat includes a background mural and door handles by his good friend Alongkorn, but the plan, the detail, and the Lanna-style woodcarvings that are ubiquitous in the Wat are all his, and a sculpture garden that is in progress depicting the animals representing the years on the lunar calendar. Pornchai’s father (deceased) was a skilled woodcarver, and this seems to have influenced his taste for traditional arts strongly.
So again, back in Chiang Mai, I'm off this afternoon to photograph another artist and his works, and I hope to be caught up to the present (or nearly so) by tomorrow afternoon. Come back soon, and tell your friends!
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