Since water is an essential and vital component for life on Earth, the White Elephant Art Competition chose "Water And Alternation" as its theme for 2025. Prof Yanawit Kunchaethong, a judge at the competition, commented that "Water And Alternation" is a relatable topic which allows artists to showcase their imagination through a variety of techniques.
Organised by Thai Beverage, the White Elephant Art Competition offers a 1 million baht prize to the winner. Since the prize money is significant, the competition was fierce, with 458 entries. The winner this year was Niratchaporn Nuamjerm, a freelance artist, for her cubic sculpture Taphien (Silver Barb Fish). Meanwhile, Yerrinda Kaewsuwan, also freelance, won the Grand Prize (500,000 baht) for her embroidery piece Underwater.
Niratchaporn said she entered the competition hoping to win an honourable mention award of 100,000 baht so she could take her grandmother to Chiang Mai.
"Winning the White Elephant Art Award was beyond expectations. I was surprised and felt unsure if it was really happening since a sculpture had never won first prize at this competition," said Niratchaporn.
Meanwhile, Yerrinda, who also put a lot of effort into her piece, said she hoped to win the award, but the Grand Prize was also unexpected.
"I had to finish my work in a limited time. I felt lucky to be selected as a finalist. When the Facebook account of White Elephant Art shared the image of my work, it received over 2,000 shares. The feedback was beyond expectation."
Taphien by Niratchaporn Nuamjerm. (Photo: White Elephant Art Award)
Taphien by Niratchaporn Nuamjerm Winner of the White Elephant Art Award
Taphien stands out from other works at the White Elephant Art Exhibition on display at Bangkok Art & Culture Centre. Inside the transparent cubic box, there are many barb fish made of woven bamboo strips moving to the sound of the Thai traditional instrumental song Dancing Rabbit. The bottom of the box is made of acrylic glass to portray water, with clay models of elderly people on fishing boats holding fishing gear and sitting on barbs.
"This sculpture resembles a fish tank which depicts my imagination from childhood in Phichit province, where people used to live happily with an abundance of water and fish. I decided to choose the upbeat music piece Dancing Rabbit because I wanted to create an enjoyable piece," explained Niratchaporn.
"I wove discarded fishing gear into barb fish which are symbols of the abundance of water. It is a contradiction that the discarded fishing gear is used as a symbol of abundance."
Growing up in Phichit, Niratchaporn remembered that when it was not rice farming season, floods filled the rice fields bringing many kinds of fish, especially barbs. Niratchaporn said at the time, water seasonally flooded the road. However, after she became a high school student, things changed. Villagers complained that they could not catch fish easily like before.
"My grandmother had once told me that the fishing gear they used may one day be displayed in a museum so that the younger generation can learn about it since such equipment will no longer be used. I created Taphien on a red platform which was inspired by red velvet displays in museums. Items showcased on red velvet cloth are usually valuable and can be seen only in a museum," she said.
Niratchaporn is known for her kinetic art which incorporates movement that can be created by motor, wind or vibration. She explained that she has been familiar with electrical equipment since a young age because her father was an electrician. She also learned from Prof Krit Ngamsom about several other techniques to incorporate with kinetic art when she was an undergraduate student at the Faculty of Architecture, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.
"I am interested in kinetic art because it creates movement which makes artwork more interesting. However, it requires knowledge of mechanisms and electronics which take a long time to master. If you make a mistake in one spot, it can ruin the whole project. To prevent mistakes, I experimented on a small piece before creating a real one."
In addition to winning the 2025 White Elephant Art Award, in 2021 Niratchaporn won the Excellent Prize for her mixed media titled Big Tiffin at the White Elephant Art Award. In 2018, she created the installation Thai Smile and won the Outstanding 3D Art Award at the Young Thai Artist Award. Niratchaporn said that her inspiration came from the local lifestyle since she was raised by her grandmother and her grandmother's sister.
In the future, Niratchaporn will continue to create works related to Thailand's local lifestyle.
"I would like to present an ordinary story and incorporate it with special material. I hope that my artwork can make viewers happy and bring a smile to their face."
Underwater by Yerrinda Kaewsuwan.
Underwater by Yerrinda Kaewsuwan Winner of the Grand Prize Award
When Yerrinda heard about the theme of the White Elephant Art Competition, she thought about future predictions regarding flooding of the world.
"During a diving experience in Koh Tao, I discovered a beautiful underwater world. In Underwater, I tried to create a new underwater world, with coral reefs and other aquatic creatures. I believe people should be aware of the value of the ecosystem which is like our second home that we should take care of," said Yerrinda.
When asked if she thinks it is possible for humans to live underwater like the image in her artwork, Yerrinda replied yes. "If a new region emerges underwater, I believe humans will adapt to a new era. However, before that, people should be aware of the value of spaces that we have."
Yerrinda Kaewsuwan, winner of the Grand Prize Award. (Photo: Yerrinda Kaewsuwan)
With delicate and beautiful embroidery skills, Yerrinda uses her needles to create a variety of works, including animals and portraits of Thai, European, Chinese and Japanese people. Due to her expertise in embroidery, besides winning the Grand Prize Award in 2025, Yerrinda has consecutively won significant awards at the White Elephant Art Award. She won the Khunying Wanna Sirivadhanabhakdi Award for Bond Of Friendship in 2024 and the CEO Award for Home in 2023.
Yerrinda gained recognition after her 2023 debut solo exhibition "Flowers Need Time To Bloom" at the People's Gallery in the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. The exhibition displayed embroidery artwork created using silk, thread and sequins. It represented Yerrinda's female soul in different forms because she is part of the LGBTI community. The exhibition attracted many people to queue in a long line to view it.
Before Yerrinda became successful, she planned to find a stable job and quit creating art. She pursued a master's at the Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University. However, Yerrinda had a car accident which caused her to stop working for a year. After that, she realised that life is uncertain, so she should do what she wants.
"I was worried that people would judge my embroidery as craft or criticise that it was not good enough. However, after the accident, I was no longer worried. Working on embroidery healed my mind. I was happy to create artwork and after that, I received positive feedback from art galleries and was selected to participate in many group exhibitions," said Yerrinda.
"In the future, I hope to have a solo exhibition abroad. I once displayed my work in Singapore because a gallery there discovered me. Many people appreciate my work, and I want to see how far I can go."
The White Elephant Art Exhibition displays 52 award-winning and selected artworks until May 11, on the 9th floor of Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/TheWhiteElephantArtAward.
