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Buddhist painting, guardian of Thai history

For many centuries, Thai painting developed through the Buddhist religion, in temples and palaces, with the idea that it was to be used to embellish the religious and royal objects that surrounded it. These paintings most often depict religious tales, the life of Buddha and popular scenes of daily life. The painters then used the three primary colours, white and black. Then, in the 19th century, the colour palette was 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 more than 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 history of the country, this legend has become a sacred national narrative, which traces the different phases of the construction of the Thai nation. There is an illustrated version of the legend in the unmissable Grand Palace in Bangkok, dating from the end of the 18th century (during the reign of Rama I). The 178 panels form a fresco 173 meters long and 3 meters high. The reading is from left to right. A multitude of legendary characters people these images full of finesse, it is a true masterpiece, which says a lot about the history and architecture of the country. Not to be missed.

Buddhist sculpture

The history of Thai sculpture merges with that of its architecture and most of the works are made for religious purposes, the 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 worship. The first sculptures are made of stone or bronze and represent the Buddhist and Hindu deities, as artists were obliged to respect certain rules laid down in India, the cradle of both religions. Almost nothing is known about these early sculptors since no names were left on the works.

Photography, an art that is becoming more popular

If photography arrived in Thailand in 1845, only six years after the creation of the first daguerreotype, it remained until the Second World War an art reserved for the aristocracy and the economic and intellectual elites of the country. To admire the historical photographic archives of Thailand, go to Chiang Mai House Photography, a place of reference on the subject. It was only after the war that the medium really opened up to ordinary citizens, and became a means of artistic expression beyond a tool of documentation or information.

The father of Thai photography is Chitt Chongmankhong (1922-2009), born in Bangkok into a modest family of Cantonese immigrants, and known for his innovative use of darkroom techniques. During his career, he travelled throughout Thailand to photograph its rural and urban landscapes and to highlight its most modest populations. But his work sometimes takes a less classical form, approaching surrealist collage and questioning photography as a medium. At first unpopular within the Thai photographic community, the numerous international prizes he received finally allowed him to legitimize his work locally, to the point of becoming the most recognized artist of the time in the field.

Today, many Thai photographers are known beyond the country's borders. Manit Sriwanichpoom and Michael Shaowanasai are two major figures of the genre, and are representative of the contemporary use of this medium to explore political issues, deconstructing traditional visual representations of power or giving 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 many changes in recent decades. The end of the 1980s is 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 various genres, from installation to video art. Innovative artists have asserted themselves by 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 Vasan Sitthiket, who was very politically committed and whose works are exhibited in the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. Other great names of Thai contemporary art are Jirapat Tatsanasomboon, Rattana Salee or Rirkrit Tiravanija for example. In parallel to this creative outpouring, numerous art spaces have emerged, which have greatly contributed to the establishment of a certain unity of the Thai contemporary scene. Examples 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 seeks 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, whose first edition was held in 2019. To a lesser extent, many art galleries can also be found in Chiang Mai, which is also slowly 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 try through it to change consciences. Very popular, it can be found in many places in the capital - a veritable open-air gallery, which even dedicates official events to it. For example, since 2013, the street art festival called Bukruk Urban Arts Festival has been held, usually in January, bringing together artists from all over the world. The city provides them with their own spaces - do not hesitate to consult the events map 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 sites for street art in Bangkok are the sites 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 of Bangrak, you have to start from the Charoen Krung road, one of the main arteries of Bangkok (the very first paved road in the city!), and then explore the surrounding alleys, known for their cultural vitality. The Charoen Krung Soi 32 alley, located just past the Thailand Creation and Design Centre, is one of the most visited for its graffiti! The Alliance française

is also active in the field and supports many street art events in the capital, such as the Street-Urban Culture Highlight for example - don't hesitate to ask for their programme. Among the big names to remember from 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 well-known local artists such as Sanchai, Mauy, Waris or Kanaet, to name but a few. Many of the city's frescoes are the result of collaborations between several artists, a peculiarity of the city. Contrary to what might be expected, the old town, where most of the important temples and many historical sites are located, is also one of the favourite places for street-artists, who are tolerantly welcomed by the local inhabitants. Chiang Mai may only be a small fraction of the size of Bangkok and is above all renowned for its historical heritage, but make no mistake: the capital is finding it increasingly difficult to compete with it from a street art point of view!