MODERN CLASSICS
Artists use traditional imagery to highlight 21st-century issues
Amid the air pollution crisis and the coronavirus pandemic, artist Terdtanwa Kanama depicts surgical masks as a new necessity, especially in one of his paintings titled Scramble where he drew an angel donning a mask while crying. Adding his voice is Arunsak Paopuree, whose painting Rainy Day takes viewers back to a time before the novel coronavirus outbreak and the PM2.5 conundrum. Arunsak’s collection tells stories of a serene life in countryside surrounded with an abundance of beautiful nature.
Despite differences in concepts, Terdtanwa and Arunsak get their messages across through “Celebration”, an exhibition hosted by Kalwit Studio and Gallery which can be viewed online. The duo has been interested in traditional Thai paintings since they studied together at the Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University.
“I studied traditional Thai painting because I wanted to learn about its processes. Traditional Thai paintings are so unique. After learning about the paintings, I developed my own style from them,” said Arunsak.
“At the university, instructors let us create artworks in various styles. They didn’t limit us to draw only traditional patterns. I could create any kind of artwork I wanted and added some traditional touches,” said Terdtanwa.
For “Celebration”, the 26-yearold artists wanted to use Thai traditional art to depict their stories.
“In my own interpretation, celebration refers to praise or worship [to our root or background of traditional Thai art]. Then, I brought my root to develop and add into my artworks, Arunsak said.
“I grew up reading comics that provide easy-to-understand content. I want to tell easy-to-follow stories through traditional Thai art. I use characters from traditional paintings to convey stories about our current situations and natural disasters in comic and graphic form, so young people can understand what we have encountered,” Terdtanwa said.