IN PRAISE OF A MASTER
The first major retrospective exhibition by and for National Artist Chakrabhand Posayakrit hopes to encourage the young generation to create art by learning from his masterpieces and outstanding work approach
One bold pencil stroke after another, Chakrabhand Posayakrit drew a portrait of his physical therapist using his left hand. After he suffered a stroke a few years ago, the respected National Artist has undergone physical therapy, and has practised using his left hand after his right was weakened. After 15 minutes of action, the outline of the portrait was complete, and it’s full of the mastery and elegance that he had shown throughout his long career.
“I can now draw and paint better using my left hand,” Chakrabhand said slowly. He smiled, and the confidence of his own will and artistry was in full display.
Apart from his daily routines and physical therapy sessions, the 74-year-old artist has been busy selecting and double-checking his masterpieces for the “Chakrabhand Posayakrit Exhibition”. This is the first-ever major retrospective exhibition organised by the revered artist himself, and it will open to the general public at his residence in Ekamai from Aug 19 to Dec 25.
“It has been a long time [since my last exhibition], and I’m happy about it,” said Chakrabhand. “Lots of things will be shown. I am proud of every piece. I chose these items for the exhibition myself. My favourite is the painting of kinnaree,” the painter told the Bangkok Post in a recent exclusive interview.
One of Thailand’s best-known artists famed for his traditional as well as contemporary style of painting and puppetry, Chakrabhand has had a long and illustrious career. He was awarded the National Artist title in 2000 and hailed as one of the 52 finest craftsmen in the 200 years of the Rattanakosin period.
Chakrabhand studied at Vajiravudh College and later the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts at Silpakorn University. He showed artistic talent since childhood, and his love of classical dance is still reflected through his drawings and paintings. When he was six, he painted on small pieces of cloth after his family took him to see classical dances at the National Theatre. As a boy, he often documented Thai classical dance sets in the form of paintings and sometimes painted female characters from his imagination, such as Nang Laweng from the epic Phra Aphai Manee.
“I have drawn and painted since I was a primary school student. I have loved Thai traditional art since my childhood. I like all the characters I painted, and I have created them from my imagination,” he said.
His love of traditional puppetry began when he was approached in the 1980s to restore the deteriorating Hun Lek puppets formerly owned by Krom Phra Ratchawang Bovorn Vichaicharn, viceroy during the reign of King Rama V. He studied the original craftsmanship, design and technique to ensure authenticity. He sought training for mastering hun krabok, or Thai rod puppets, from Chuen Sakulkaew, National Artist in puppetry, and later learned about making and restoring puppets. Soon he created a series of his own puppets.
“I learned how to master puppets from Khru Chuen and received the puppet Phisua Samut [The Sea Ogress] from her,” Chakrabhand said. “I learned the art of embroidery from Khru Yuean Phanuthat and passed all the techniques onto my students.”
In 2003, Chakrabhand performed puppetry with his troupe at a ceremony to commemorate the 60th anniversary of Silpakorn University. He and his team also created mural paintings at Wat Tri Thotsathep in Bangkok and Wat Khao Sukim in Chanthaburi.
In fact, he’s as celebrated for his paintings as for his puppetry. Chakrabhand is well-versed in the ancient art that he involved himself in every process from making puppets to being a puppet master himself. Some memorable shows include Phra Aphai Manee in 1975, the Nang Loy episode of the epic Ramakien in 1977 at Suan Pakkad Palace, Sam Kok (the Thai adaptation of The Romance Of The Three Kingdoms) in 1979 and 1989, and his decades-long preparations and rehearsals for the Taleng Phai performance.
The retrospective exhibition at his house will manifest all of his artistic skills, a rare event for those who’re familiar with his work as well as younger spectators.
Chakrabhand’s protégé Vallabhis Sodprasert, who’s also deputy chairman of the Chakrabhand Posayakrit Foundation, said: “Acharn Chakrabhand is gifted for creating extraordinary watercolour paintings. He painted them without drawing with a pencil. Every brush stroke is precise and flawless.”
According to Vallabhis, all the selected works, including the famous paintings of Thai literature Inao and the painting of kinnaree, are on view in six mirrored cabinets at the exhibition.
“Everything which is with us [the foundation] will be displayed at the foundation’s museum. My teacher insisted on keeping them in the museum, which is now 80% completed on a 5 rai plot of land in Bangkok’s Sai Mai district. It is expected to open next year,” the deputy chairman said.
Vallabhis added that the grand opening of the exhibition would be on Aug 16 — the 75th birthday of Chakrabhand. The exhibition, he said, will allow the general public to appreciate the national artist’s works in full and enable the artist to continue his artistic life. Numerous art pieces which Chakrabhand loves and has selected for the exhibit will be displayed in the theatre where the rehearsals of his puppet shows took place. The objects will be replaced by another set of art pieces every four months.
I LEARNED HOW TO MASTER PUPPETS FROM KHRU CHUEN AND RECEIVED THE PUPPET PHISUA SAMUT FROM HER
The exhibition will be presented in all categories of works created by Chakrabhand — paintings, sculptures and traditional puppets. Several of the chosen paintings have ever been seen by very few people before.
However, some of them are reproductions because they were either sold to collectors or went missing. Among them are the pastel portraits of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Her Majesty Queen Sirikit; the watercolour paintings The Sun-God On His Chariot, Muay Thai and Full Moon In The Jungle; the bathing kinnarees at Gishguth Mountain; and the oil on canvas Koh Samet.
Sculptures on display are the principal Buddha statue for the Taleng Phai performance; the prototype of chor fah, or a roof decorative object, designed for Wat Khao Sukim in Chanthaburi province; the prototype of the statue of Thotsakan, the Lord of Monsters in the epic Ramakien, which is now at the King Rama II Memorial Park in Samut Songkhram. The painting tools used by Chakrabhand will also be on view.
In addition, the audience will have a chance to admire dozens of traditional puppets. Puppets for the first act of the Taleng
Phai performance, including Ayutthaya Kingdom’s monarch Phra Maha Dhammaraja, will be placed in front of the stage while those from the first act of the Sam Kok
(Three Kingdoms), including the famous Lady Mi and those of the Phra Aphai Manee performance will be on the opposite side. A number of old Thai traditional puppets will be on another side. Original backdrops painted by Chakrabhand for Samkok and
Taleng Phai will also be shown. In addition, the prelude of the Taleng Phai puppet show will be performed during a provided period of time.
According to Vallabhis, the exhibition was inspired by a suggestion given by former
Bangkok Post writer Jeerawat Na Thalang several years ago. Chakrabhand agreed with the idea and wished to organise it at his own residence.
However, health problems caused several delays to the opening of the exhibition, which was initially scheduled for November 2016 and then in February this year. Vallabhis recalled that his teacher had warning signs of a stroke and was prescribed with medicine about three years ago. However, Chakrabhand later stopped taking the medicine and shifted to natural approaches and herbal remedies. Later, his symptoms worsened. He finally suffered a stroke and was admitted to an intensive care unit. He is recovering now.
According to Vallabhis, this exhibition has the real objective to allow the people, especially students, to learn from the national artist’s works, which speak louder than words. Looking at his work, viewers will understand how he works in a very orderly manner, such as using colours prudently and applying the underpainting technique.
“I take a look at every process [of organising the exhibition]. I like every piece. All my works here will later be kept in the Chakrabhand Posayakrit Foundation’s museum,” the national artist noted proudly. The “Chakrabhand Posayakrit Exhibition” will be open to the public at the artist’s Ekamai residence during 1-4pm daily from Aug 19 to Dec 25. Admission fee is 100 baht for adults and 50 baht for children and students. Contact the Chakrabhand Posayakrit Foundation on 02-392-7754 or visit the foundation’s website at chakrabhand.org.