ARUNSAK PAOPUREE
Born in Ubon Ratchathani and raised by his grandparents until he was three, Arunsak has fond memories of living with nature. Now far from his home province, the artist wanted to convey his nostalgia with this collection.
“My collection was influenced by impressionism. I was impressed with where I lived before. When I had to leave Ubon Ratchathani, I was heartbroken. I didn’t want to leave my grandparents and go to Bangkok. I return to visit them once a year, which is a long wait for me. I notice everything has changed. My grandparents are getting old. Beautiful natural sites start to disappear,” Arunsak explained.
While Terdtanwa’s paintings are dynamic in vibrant colours, Arunsak’s collection is serene. His tempera and acrylic paintings exhibit elaborate details. They bring visitors to observe his neighbourhood with trees, flowers, ponds and animals nearby. A highlight painting, That Day When The Summer
Comes, portrays a sole tree in dark tones with gold colours in several shades and many dragonflies flitting around.
“It was my imagination. I can see my grandparents once a year and I thought what it would be like if they weren’t there for me anymore. I must have felt lost and missed them a lot. This thought made me realise that we should spend time and pay attention to what we have,” Arunsak said.
In his collection, three of five paintings are about poultry. They are a consequence of his interest in birdwatching. The painting Let Me Negotiate The Truth depict the relationship between cattle egrets and mynas.
“I studied birds and found each of them has their own characteristics, so I adapted their characteristics into new forms and colours in paintings. Among many birds, I’m into cattle egrets and mynas because they both have to depend on buffaloes. If mynas perch on a buffalo, other cattle egrets can’t be on the buffalo. They sometimes have to fight for the buffalo, so they can have food,” said the artist.
The other painting about poultry,
Pleiades At Donjik Field was inspired by his happy memories of childhood.
“Donjik Field is located next to my grandparents’ hut. I lived around there. When I was young, my grandpa grilled me a chicken. It was delectable. I wondered what happened to that chicken and others. The painting was my imagination how they were in heaven,” he said.
Most artists use chemical paints due to the convenience, but most of Arunsak’s artworks were painted with his handmade colours which were produced in a traditional process.
“The traditional colours were made of natural materials. I also use materials I found in Ubon Ratchathani such as soil and rock to create colours which signify the uniqueness of this local area. Natural colours have been used since the Ayutthaya period. If water doesn’t splash on a painting, natural colours won’t be damaged. It can remain for a century,” said Arunsak.