Ever since he was a young prince accompanying his brother on royal duties until his final years residing in Siriraj Hospital, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej was almost never seen without a camera in his hands. It is a rich paradox: one of the most photographed persons in the Kingdom was also an avid photographer who took tens of thousands of pictures of other people during this 70-year-reign. For years, the public has mainly seen photographs of the king holding a camera, but today, we are finally able to get a glimpse of what the monarch saw through his very own eyes.
The Bangkok Art and Cultural Centre and the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand has rounded up 200 of the king's never-before-exhibited photographs in "Through The Lens Of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej" exhibition, as part of the "In Remembrance Of HM King Bhumibol: The Supreme Artist" project running from today until Jan 7. This is the first photographic exhibition of King Rama IX's photos in 25 years.
Hung throughout the 9th floor of the BACC are photographs spanning three major time periods in King Bhumibol's life -- revealing a clear-cut pattern of his interests and his high photographic skills.
Starting from 1955, the year HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn was born, the king's early reign features black-and-white candid photos of his family in addition to stunning coloured portraits of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. The section features interesting historical titbits like the queen's ever-evolving sense of style and HRH the Princess Mother on board a ship with then-prime minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram and his wife Thanphuying La-iad.
The period in the middle of his reign yields photographs of rural Thailand and his royal projects regarding agriculture, irrigation and rural development, with his water development projects being the main motif. His final years -- the most touching of all the periods, features simple landscapes from Klai Kangwon Palace in Hua Hin, artistic self-portraits, snapshots of his beloved pet dogs, and lastly, heartbreaking shots from the balcony of his room at Siriraj Hospital.
Nitikorn Kraivixien, curator for 'Through The Lens Of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej'. Photo courtesy of BACC
Peppered throughout the exhibition are also amusing and humour-laced photos like Super Sandwich and Khun Thongdaeng's portrait with a palace ID card -- showing the king's well-known ironic sense of humour. But one thing that remained constant throughout his whole reign -- from the most rural provinces to the steps of the Siriraj Hospital -- are portraits of Thai citizens, waiting on their king wherever he went.
It took altogether seven years to bring this exhibition to light, said Nitikorn Kraivixien, curator of the show.
"It started out at one of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn's photo exhibitions," he said.
"Every year she would exhibit her photography in December. She informed us that there were many photographs of the king that no one has seen before and that we should exhibit them."
With permission to use 600 photographs selected from the palace photographers, Nitikorn selected one-third to be displayed, saving the rest for future exhibitions.
King Bhumibol photographed his own shadow at Klai Kangwon Palace, in Hua Hin, on March 13, 2000.
"I selected photos that stood out, that varied, that tell a story, and also photos that no one has ever seen before," said Nitikorn. "But there are also published photos that I believe are important so they're on display again. Just because it's been published before doesn't mean that people have seen it before. I've tried to create a variety with the themes of the three time periods as the main point."
As a self-taught photographer, King Bhumibol's photographs expertly play with light, shadow and composition, with professional photographers on social media commenting on how precise his technique is. From well organised portraits of his family to seemingly candid shots of Khun Thongdaeng, his knowledge of composition -- especially the rule-of-thirds, reveals his seriousness in the craft.
"This is my favourite photograph," said Nitikorn as he walks over to a black-and-white family portrait inside the royal train in 1961. "The lighting and composition are perfect, and there's a warm feeling to the overall picture."
King Rama IX, according to Nitikorn, probably got his inspiration in photography from his mother.
"When they lived in Switzerland, his mother took family photos all the time," he said. "And according to biographies, she bought him a small camera and ever since, he's been taking photos. When he followed his brother around, he was also taking photos. We're still hunting those down. If one day we're able to find them, we'll ask permission to exhibit them."
The people of Ban Phai in Khon Kaen wait to greet King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit during a royal visit, in November 1955.
The rest of the photographs are stored safe inside palace grounds within a temperature controlled room with staff taking care of the valuable artefacts.
"Old film, especially coloured film, the colour fades away through time," said Nitikorn. "But we're lucky that digital techniques can restore them to their original colours. Otherwise the photos you saw during the beginning of his reign, they'll either be red or faded."
"There's still a large part left," Nitikorn continued. "The photos that he took would probably amount to tens of thousands."
And hopefully, within due time, the public will be exposed to more of King Bhumibol's works.
"Through The Lens Of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej" is on show at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre's 9th floor and will run until Jan 7. For more information, contact BACC at 02-214-6630.
