Portraits are important records of history, culture and lifestyle. Recently, Thailand held its own national portrait competition titled "RCB Portrait Prize 2021", organised by River City Bangkok to provide opportunities for Thai artists to display their skills and creative ideas through portrait paintings.
The "RCB Portrait Prize 2021" offered three prizes -- the Portrait Prize, the Packing Room Prize and the People's Choice Prize. While the Portrait Prize was judged by a panel from a variety of professions such as entrepreneurs, state agencies and media, the Packing Room Prize was judged by an exhibition team who has seen a wide array of art exhibited at River Bangkok City. Currently, all paintings from the competition are displayed at the exhibition "RCB Portrait Prize 2021". The People's Choice Prize will be voted on by the exhibition's visitors and the results will be announced on the last day of the exhibition on Dec 7.
From a total of 178 entries nationwide, Manop Momin was the winner of the Portrait Prize for his oil painting Bua Pan. As an artist who worked on portraits for clients for years, Manop was thrilled to have the opportunity to compete in Thailand's national portraiture competition.
"I dreamt of seeing a portraiture competition in Thailand for years since creating portraits is a part of my career and my expertise. Since it is rare for portraitists to have the opportunity to present their work, I am especially thankful for the 'RCB Portrait Prize'. I also admire its goal, which aims to motivate people in the art industry and help artists earn income," said Manop.
Tanawat Muratatunyaluk, who won the Packing Room Prize for his oil painting Learning In Covid Situation, said he hopes people will visit the exhibition.
"I would like to invite everyone to view the exhibition in person. It gives a different feeling from viewing on social media. The 'RCB Portrait Prize' is an interesting art competition. Anyone who did not have a chance to participate in this year's competition should try next year," said Tanawat.
Life spoke to the winners of the artists about the inspiration behind their paintings.
Manop Momin won the Portrait Prize for Bua Pan.
Bua Pan by Manop Momin
The Portrait Prize Winner
The Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on many people, especially the underprivileged. While Manop Momin was strolling in the areas around the Sake alley and Ratchada canal, he noticed many beggars, homeless people and prostitutes. So when Manop decided to participate in the competition, he roamed around Sake alley for many days to search for his sitter until he met 74-year-old sex worker Bua Pan. After a discussion about payment, Bua Pan agreed to pose for him.
"I pass by that area often and see many underprivileged people. I believe the pandemic must have had a negative impact on them, so I wanted to present a story of Sake alley to the public. My goal was to raise the issue that social welfare is not sufficient, which made Bua Pan agree to expose herself for the portrait, sacrificing her dignity and privacy," said Manop.
Since Manop had to work against time, he had to take numerous photos of the elderly lady.
"I had to work in a dark hotel room nearby where the light was red. Because I had to pay the hotel and Bua Pan for every hour, I decided to take as many photos of Bua Pan and brought them home to develop a sketch. Then, I brought that sketch to our second appointment and painted it from her pose in person. To meet Bua Pan was not easy because she does not have a mobile phone," said Manop.
When Manop first met Bua Pan, he assumed that she was 60, but after seeing her ID, the artist was shocked.
"I was stunned to find out how old she is. While working on the painting, I felt gloomy and devastated due to the atmosphere of the work conditions and her life story. Before being a sex worker, Bua Pan worked in a factory where she had an accident that caused her arm to become weak. As a result, she lost her job. The elderly woman has a son, but she does not get along with her daughter-in-law. So, she decided to live independently on her own. According to Bua Pan, she has regular clients, but some days, she does not have any clients," the artist said.
Manop was overjoyed when he won the Portrait Prize. He said the project made him understand people more and the 500,000 baht prize changed his life.
"I was ecstatic to receive the prize. The project made me understand that many people face more difficulties than I do. They have to make a living by trading their bodies for little money. I wished to win the prize because I wanted to raise awareness of underprivileged people," said Manop.
"With the prize money, I can continue my graduate studies in fine arts at Silpakorn University and have donated some money to Issara Chon Foundation to help people in Sake alley. I also intend to meet Bua Pan and give her money from time to time, so she can purchase food and things she needs," he said.
Tanawat Muratatunyaluk, left, and his son Ifel with Learning In Covid Situation.
Learning In Covid Situation by Tanawat Muratatunyaluk
The Packing Room Prize Winner
Tanawat Muratatunyaluk earned his bachelor's degree in painting from Silpakorn University. After graduating, he moved from Bangkok to Phuket and runs a business there. He paints landscapes and portraits from time to time. When his business did not go well, he concentrated more on paintings and earned money from them. Tanawat is interested in landscape and portrait paintings.
"I paint landscapes because I live close to nature, so I want to depict what I see. I was motivated to paint portraits after visiting the Louvre Museum in France and seeing amazing portraits by renowned artists. For example, Jacques Louis David's self-portrait and paintings about the French revolution were magnificent. I hoped I could create something like that," said Tanawat.
Even though Tanawat has a degree in art, he never participated in competitions after graduating. He admitted he was afraid to lose but at the age of 59, he decided to take on the challenge. Tanawat's inspiration was simple yet powerful since he decided to paint a portrait of his son, Ifel.
"My wife and I have been married for 16 years without a child. We began to feel lonely and wanted to have a purpose in life, so we thought about having a child. Thus, Ifel was born. After Ifel finished Prathom 3, we decided to homeschool him, so we are really close to him," said Tanawat.
Ifel returned to study at a regular school after he graduated from Mathayom 3, but due to the pandemic, he had to study online at home. Tanawat painted his son sitting on the chair he sat on while studying online.
"To make sitting comfortable, he had to be in a natural and comfortable pose. Hence, I let Ifel sit on the chair he always sat on while taking online classes. I usually take two weeks to a month to finish a portrait, but I was able to finish my son's portrait in only five days. I focused on his facial and eye expression as well as lighting and shading. Thus, viewers can see lighting and shading clearly," explained Tanawat.
The artist felt delighted to receive the Packing Room Prize and this has inspired him to start working on a project involving portrait paintings.
"The prize has ignited my passion and enthusiasm. When a painting receives positive feedback, an artist feels encouraged to create more work. I plan to have a project involving portraits but do not want to reveal details yet. This prize is proof that I can create a successful project," said Tanawat.
"RCB Portrait Prize 2021" runs at RCB Galleria, 2nd floor of River City Bangkok, until Dec 7. Visit facebook.com/RiverCityBangkok for more information.
