In the past month, outrage surrounding the Italian-Thai mogul's alleged killings of protected animals -- chiefly a black leopard -- manifested itself into a form of protest that's rarely ever seen in Thailand: Street art.
Premchai Karnasuta, the 63-year-old president of construction company Italian-Thai Development, was arrested on Feb 4 in the World Heritage sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province, found with several wildlife carcases at his camping site, including a skinned black leopard. On Feb 8, mysterious graffiti was spray-painted over the Italian-Thai logo at one of its many construction sites in Bangkok. It showed a bullet-strewn head of a black leopard. Superimposed over the company's brand, it was the start of an unofficial campaign of symbolic defiance on the walls of the city, a rallying cry against what many perceive as privilege and injustice.
The most controversial graffiti came on March 4 from a street artist called Headache Stencil -- whose claim to fame came earlier when he sprayed a Banksy-style image of an alarm clock with the face of DPM Gen Prawit Wongsuwon on the side of a footbridge (it was erased by the authorities). This time, he sprayed a large black leopard head next to a mute symbol. Again, the piece was mysteriously painted over -- whitewashed, literally -- after less than 24 hours. The artist claimed that an eyewitness told him the piece was erased by two men in crew cuts. Still, the image of the graffiti went viral, the catalyst that has inspired many black panther graffiti images as an act of protest.
Public walls from Bangkok to Chiang Mai have been sprayed with the mighty black panther, messages of injustice, and symbols by street artists famous and anonymous -- often erased soon after. On March 8, several street artists converged, under the co-ordination of a group called "A Call For Animal Rights", at a building opposite Italian-Thai headquarters on Phetchaburi Road to spray images of a black panther and messages such as "Justice For Wildlife". Later Alex Face, a veteran street artist, altered one of his signature wall characters to have a black leopard head. That piece, too, was erased.
Banksy, the world-renowned guerrilla street artist, characterises graffiti as a form of revenge that allows citizens to take over the power, territory and honour from the privileged. But in Thailand, street art and graffiti have rarely been associated with political dissension or social uprising. On the random walls of Bangkok, there is rash graffiti of delinquent students proclaiming their territories or dissing their enemies from rival schools -- often with poor skill -- then at the other extreme there are famous street artists whose works are described as cool and creative, with marketing opportunities attached and hardly any rebellious spirit.
Will the black leopard outbreak make any difference?
"If you're talking in general [about street art and graffiti], this type of art serves itself," said Chiang Mai-based street artist Piyasak Khiaosaard -- known as MAUY on the walls.
"Graffiti is saying, 'This is who I am. This is where I'm from', and street art is saying 'This is what I'm thinking' in a public platform on the streets. But presently, there has been more development apart from self-interest. Artists are now interested in what's going on around them. They're more interested in the contexts within society, therefore the artworks are communicating with the masses more. People know street art more, because we're not only spraying our stories, but stories about the world and what's going on, and it's tangible for the people who view them."
According to MAUY, there has never been a trend or issue that's united Thai street artists like this before -- if you don't count when King Bhumibol Adulyadej passed away. MAUY himself sprayed a stunning black-and-white portrait of Premchai surrounded by wildlife skeletons with his eyes covered by colourful military ribbon bars.
Myrtille Tibayrenc, co-founder of the BUKRUK street art festival, also noticed the same thing. Thai street art was never really politically engaged like in Europe and the United States. Street art in the West has been used to deliver messages and discuss social issues for decades. However, in Thailand it's been very discreet -- till now.
"I feel that this movement has a backwards rhythm," she said. "In Europe and America, first it was vandalism, then it became commercial, then it became official, and then institutional. But in Thailand, it was first quite commercial. The first street artists like MAMAFAKA, Rukkit and P7 were commercial artists. But now, it's starting to get more of a vandal feel. It's funny, because it's the other way around, and I'm curious to see what's going to happen next. It's very interesting to follow."
Premchai, who reported to the police on Wednesday, denied all charges and said he did not kill the black leopard. Still, what happened in the sanctuary and what many perceive as the authorities' penchant to protect the rich and powerful has come on top of a dozen other unsolved cases, and it may have woken a sleeping giant in the people. They want to express their discontent, even fury, at what happened. And while hundreds of online memes featuring leopards may travel far and fast and offer instant satisfaction, the real, physical, half-legit art in public spaces, when done right, can offer genuine impact and become a tangible gesture of defiance.
For MAUY, he believes that street art can create change to around 20-50% of society -- depending on how famous the street artist is. Alex Face, or Rukkit, who have sprayed their own versions of the injustice, would be able to reach out to a much wider audience to make them understand the cause. Even Thai artists in America, like Pairoj Pichetmetakul, are doing their bit to raise awareness. As long as people keep spraying, the message will always be out there.
For Myrtille, change is already happening.
"For me, I think it has a great impact," she said. "Especially in Thailand, as the freedom of press is greatly diminished, artists have to wake up. Contemporary artists are very active in provoking, shaking the system, and asking questions. And of course public art is the most direct option to criticise and shake the system. It was made for that purpose."
Headache Stencil, the artist who accidentally started the movement, finds the unanimous protest "a freaking miracle".
"Have you seen what happened after my artwork disappeared?" he asked. "The world has changed. I believe that after this, the street art scene will be a lot more fun. It's also pushing out talented individuals to create artworks of their own -- especially the younger generation. Our walls will be the most awesome walls in this world sooner or later, and I'm proud that I've been a small part in the street art scene."
"I think it's beyond art -- what's happening in Thailand," added Myrtille. "Of course, at some point, people are going to want to open their mouths. With art or no art, they will, at a certain point. But it's always more pleasant with art."
A work by an anonymous sprayer, in a Banksy-style, shows a cop supporting an alleged poacher.
Pairoj Pichetmetakul's artwork in the United States. Pairoj Pichetmetakul
Graffiti of a bullletstrewn black leopard sparked an unofficial campaign of street art protest.
