The founder of Green Lantern Gallery, Watjanasin Charuwattanakitt, has been interested in Thai mural paintings ever since he ordained as a monk at Pariwat Temple and noticed that there were paintings about Buddhism on the walls and doors. Since then, he likes to visit temples to see murals, however, he often encounters difficulty as not all temples are open to the public.
"One of the most interesting paintings I saw was in Nakhon Ratchasima about Lord Buddha. It depicts the story of a child who was killed and had his organs grilled. In the painting, Lord Buddha, who had not yet attained enlightenment, was offered the human meat but he refused to eat it. When I visit a temple, sometimes the main hall is closed because the murals there are very old and the doors are closed to prevent the works from getting damp. While some temples allow me to see their paintings only after I ask the abbots, others do not allow me to enter. I have to request permission from the Fine Arts Department and then bring the letter of permission to the temple," said Watjanasin.
The idea of the exhibition "Phaph Kak (Thai Mural Painting – Wall Art)" developed when he met a Silpakorn University graduate student, Arpatsarin Khunnarong, who is currently the curator of the exhibition. At Silpakorn University, there is a class that students have to take in order to learn how to copy traditional mural paintings that feature in temples. Arpatsarin collected the paintings from the students under the theme of phaph kak, or paintings about characters who aren't protagonists or the main feature.
"When we talk about murals, people usually think about a main male and female character who are good looking and have graceful gestures. However, phaph kak is totally different. It gives painters freedom of expression. Kak characters are ordinary people and they don't have to be aesthetically pleasing or attractive. Instead, they can have hilarious facial expressions and be fun," explained Arpatsarin.
Auraiwan Homjan painted kak characters at a battle.
Supatchar Rojanavanij copied a painting at Wat Suwannaram Ratchaworawihan because it relates to her background.
"Phaph kak portrays how people of that time looked. Their surroundings, their homes and their clothes can help us understand more about the period they lived in. I also like to paint phaph kak because it is more fun than painting the main characters," said one of the artists, Supatchar Rojanavanij.
On view at Green Lantern Gallery, "Phaph Kak (Thai Mural Painting – Wall Art)" is displaying 22 paintings in Bangkok near BTS Thonglo making it convenient for art enthusiasts to visit.
"These 22 paintings were copied from many temples including Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram, Wat Suthat Thepwararam, Wat Phutthai Sawan and Wat Khongkharam. The murals at Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram are not open to the public but I was able to copy a painting from there and exhibit it along with the others. This is a good opportunity for people to view paintings from several temples in one place," Arpatsarin said.
In order to copy traditional mural paintings, students have to learn old techniques in detail. Arpatsarin says that each step of the traditional process is interesting.
Niti Chaicharoen has four phaph kak paintings at the exhibition.
"In general, a painter has to paint on a frame such as canvas or paper but we tried to find a frame that was most similar to what ancient painters used. We used calico as a frame but first, we had to make glue from tamarind seeds ourselves because nobody sells it. After we had the glue, we had to mix it with white clay filler and paint the mixture on the calico. This process takes a lot of time. In the past, painters made natural colours from stones and minerals but today they are rare and cost a lot of money, so we used pigment powder instead," explained Arpatsarin.
"I often wonder how ancient painters knew about what materials to use. They used natural materials such as stones, minerals, shells and bugs to create colours and made paper from the streblus asper plant," said Supatchar.
One of the artists whose work is featured in the exhibition is 22-year-old Niti Chaicharoen, who created several phaph kak paintings, four of which were selected for display at the exhibition. His largest picture (98cm by 68cm) depicts a ceremony in which someone scatters coins to people and everyone hurries to collect them because of their auspicious nature.
"I prefer kak characters to protagonists because their behaviour and mannerism are amusing. Male and female protagonists are proper and well-behaved while kak characters are more playful. Some painters even created erotic scenes with kak characters in their work, so people pay more attention to those paintings. However, I chose to copy this large painting because it has great composition," said Niti.
Another 22-year-old artist, Auraiwan Homjan copied a painting from Wat Pho Tharam Ratchaburi which portrays a battle.
The exhibition's curator, Arpatsarin Khunnarong. photo courtesy of Master Tong Apollo
"I chose this painting because I like the various actions and movements of the characters. In this painting, I drew on wood that was coated by the tamarind glue mixed with the white clay filler. When learning about making colour from natural materials, I liked the white made from shells the most because it is more beautiful than a synthetic colour. Unfortunately, in this painting, I had to use synthetic colours," said Auraiwan.
Meanwhile, Supatchar chose to copy a painting at Wat Suwannaram Ratchaworawihan because it relates to her background.
"This painting was created by a Chinese painter who immigrated to Thailand, just like my ancestors. Characters in this painting don't look like typical Thai characters; even the horses are different. I also like figures' body shape, shadows and trees in the painting. They are more realistic," explained Supatchar.
When discussing Thai traditional paintings, people are usually concerned about preservation because original techniques are rare. However, Arpatsarin thinks it isn't the artists' duty to preserve these paintings.
The works show the techniques of the original painters.
"We are creators. We simply record moments and techniques and exhibit paintings to the public but there are people who specifically work on preservation. Preservation of artwork is very detailed. I don't expect that there will be a lot of visitors to the exhibition. However, I am happy to see that my college mates were enthusiastic to display their works to the public," said Arpatsarin.
The new generation might pay less attention to traditional Thai paintings than the generation before them but Arpatsarin believes that Thai art will survive.
"There is a group of people who are interested in only Thai traditional paintings, but Thai art isn't limited to only traditional paintings. Art in the country continues to develop in new ways and new forms. Even though Thai artists create their artworks with new techniques and new technology, we still can see Thai culture in their work. If artists can adjust themselves to change, Thai art can go on," said Arpatsarin.
"Phaph Kak (Thai Mural Painting – Wall Art)" runs at Green Lantern Gallery, BTS Thonglo, until Oct 31. Admission is free. Visit facebook.com/GreenLanternGallery or call 02-066-7738 for more information.
The murals at Wat Benchamabophit Dusitwanaram, which are not open to the public, were copied by Arpatsarin Khunnarong.
Some painters use erotic scenes to attract visitors.
Green Lantern Gallery. Photos: Varuth Hirunyatheb
