Art can be easy to connect with if you find a piece that you can relate to. Artist Somnuek Klangnok, better known as Kru Parn, felt touched when an art collector told him that his paintings were able to heal her.
"I was invited to the house of an art collector. Her house was full of art pieces and I was happy to see my paintings hanging here. When I visited the bedroom, I was surprised to find one of my large paintings hanging right above the bed. The art collector thanked me for creating that painting. She said she often felt stressed from work, but when she woke up and saw my painting, it cheered her up," said Somnuek.
"She loved my Cocoon painting very much and believed that once she became stress-free, she was able to conceive. This collector moved to live in many countries but she said one thing that she had to take with her was my painting. Her words were touching and I felt so honoured."

The Cocoon character is a cute alien boy wearing a hoodie.
Cocoon, which depicts a cute alien boy wearing a hoodie, is part of Somnuek's latest exhibition "Someone Like You" at One Bangkok. In addition to Cocoon, the main part of the exhibition displays a modern portrait collection which features his signature character: a woman with large and expressive eyes.
"Cocoon was created in 2012 after I saw a student wearing a hoodie in a class and he looked so cute and round, so I captured that form to create Cocoon. The Cocoon collection has been well received; it always sells out before my other pieces."
At "Someone Like You", there is a wall featuring the black and white Cocoon collection with meaningful and positive quotes. For example: 'Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions'. "

Somnuek 'Kru Parn' Klangnok draws Cocoon at the opening ceremony. Free Flow Communication
"A viewer was crying after browsing this wall. She told me that she was searching for an answer and found it from a quote in the collection. I collect meaningful quotes because some people come to see me when they feel miserable and I want to help them out," explained Somnuek.
Somnuek explained that "Someone Like You" was the title when he debuted at the Affordable Art Fair in Singapore in 2012. At that time, he enjoyed snapping photos of interesting people and used them as inspiration to create portraits. Each portrait included a made-up description explaining who the person was and what career she/he had. That collection sold out.
For this collection, he created new portraits with a short description or a thoughtful quote. For instance, Princess Dream Meninas is a painting of a long blonde hair princess wearing an elegant emerald green evening gown. Her description is: "The princess of the planet Manis is kind and treats everyone equally". Another painting, Princess Li Li, depicts a young woman with long, flowing hair in a floor-length gown. Her top is a dark red while the skirt is a vibrant blue adorned with lily blossoms and butterflies.

Cocoon merchadise. Free Flow Communication
"I named this collection 'Someone Like Me' because it includes the word 'one' as a tribute to One Bangkok. It also means that even though these paintings were created by me, collectors found them to mirror their personal style from the outfits, hairstyles or even sitting poses. A visitor recently approached me and told me that she had a blouse with the identical pattern to the one in my painting. It was a series of coincidences," he explained.
Growing up in Buri Ram, Somnuek's passion for art developed at the age of 14 when he won first place in a drawing competition that was held for novice monks in a temple in Ayutthaya. This first award inspired the novice monk Somnuek to pursue art more seriously. He studied by himself, going to the library, reading the history of master artists like Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Claude Monet and Pablo Picasso, and dedicating himself to drawing the human anatomy.
After much disciplined self-training, Somnuek had the opportunity to paint a portrait of M.R. Tassanee Sudasaniya, the patron of the temple where Somnuek was a novice. M.R. Tassanee was impressed by his outstanding painting skills and surprised that the novice monk from Buri Ram had knowledge about the world master artists. After that, M.R. Tassanee supported Somnuek to study art with a renowned artist, M.L. Jirathorn Jiraprawat, better known as Kru Toh, and this allowed him to further develop his skills and techniques.

Princess Li Li.
Following graduating from the Faculty of Humanities at Mahamakut Buddhist University, Somnuek left the monkhood. He later became an assistant teacher of M.L. Jirathorn. Despite being skilled, he struggled to find his signature style.
"It took me five years to discover my signature style. As a former novice and monk who followed 227 rules, I found myself adhering to strict guidelines. M.L. Jirathorn commented that my paintings were neat, but lacked spontaneous charm," Somnuek explained.
"To break out of my comfort zone, I began experimenting. I decided to draw a woman's forehead higher, simplify the nose into a single line and gave her a more flowing hair style. When I saw the result, I thought 'Eureka'. It was while working as an illustrator at Ploy Gam Phet magazine that I discovered my signature style. As a result, readers began to recognise my style: women with large and expressive eyes."

Art collectors found that these portraits mirror their personal styles.
Somnuek is a hard-working artist as he enjoys painting every day. After he discovered his signature style, he worked on portraits of stylish, beautiful and famous people. He dreamed of exhibiting this collection in Thailand, but his life took an unexpected turn. A Singaporean couple impressed with his work invited him to showcase his work at the Affordable Art Fair in 2012.
On the first night, his 11 artworks were sold and the next day, Strait Times, a Singaporean newspaper, published his name as the Thai artist whose work sold the most at the VIP night. Within three days of the fair, all 30 pieces of his were sold out. After success in Singapore, Somnuek showcased his work in Hong Kong, Amsterdam, London and New York.
Working as an artist for over 20 years, Somnuek has fun creating art that can heal and uplift people.
"It is incredible to discover that my paintings allow me to connect with viewers. They let me know that my art speaks to them and comforts them in a way that I never knew before. Being an artist is an incredible profession," said Somnuek.

Princess Dream Meninas, centre.
"I once met a collector from Chiang Mai at my restaurant by the name of Chubby Papaya. She was thrilled to meet me and told me that my paintings bring her happiness. She feels that the artworks heal her."
Somnuek hopes that people will learn more about him more from his exhibition.
"My goal isn't to make money. I hope more people will discover my art. I hope that my paintings will bring them joy and that they will appreciate my style. Art can be another form of therapy. I want visitors to feel that art is approachable and easy to understand. If someone comes to the exhibition and comments that the artwork is cute, I consider that a success."
"Somone Like You" runs at One Bangkok, G Floor, Parade Zone until Jan 31. Admission is free. For more information, visit instagram.com/parnarts.