Supachet Bhumikarn, the painter of pachyderms, brings his symbols of freedom to a place that frees minds
Published on March 13, 2008
Chiang Mai-based Supachet Bhumikarn has been painting pictures of the national symbol for six years, and 23 of his acrylics are on view in "The Elephant Voice", an exhibition at Bangkok's Banana Family Park on Soi Aree 1.
In the two years since his last show, "Fly with Me?", Supachet has continued to explore his mammoth motif as a means of achieving personal liberation.
"The elephant voice is the voice of my heart," says the 30-year-old. "It's about being freed from any shackles."
Supachet has finally managed to free himself from the burden he accrued in building his own house.
It took him two years to escape the worry and tension that came with the jumbo debt, and he's emerged optimistic and freshly inspired by everyday life.
"I want to mirror the peaceful mind that comes with being freed from fear or bondage. A bird represents freedom. Even a flying elephant and falling leaves are symbols of an independent mind."
"The Elephant Voice" has a perfect setting in the Sala Phunmee at Banana Park, a glass-enclosed hall used for weekly meditation sessions.
"People meditate to achieve a peaceful mind," Supachet says, "and my artwork also conveys that."
Last summer brought the opportunity to show his work at D'Annecy in France, where a hotel hosted a month-long Thai Festival that included the cuisine as well as the culture.
"It was my first exhibition overseas, and I was the first Thai artist that town had seen. I was feeling a bit of pressure!
"We're often told that foreigners know more about art than Thais, so we expect them to prefer complicated art. But at the festival, people told me they liked my work more than what they'd seen in previous years from other countries. They wanted to see art they could understand.
"They found my work cheerful and easy to get."
Needless to say, while in France, Supachet wasn't going to miss a chance to visit the Louvre in Paris.
"The masterpieces in the Louvre inspired me a lot. It gave me more courage in my own work."
One immediate effect evident in his latest work is the deliberate use of solid colours to give the painting more power. "Flying with Midnight Blue" has a winged white elephant soaring high above the full moon against a brilliant blue background, accompanied by many colourful birds.
"This is my favourite," Supachet says. "It was inspired by my habit of reviewing what I've done each day before going to bed. As I'm falling asleep I let my thoughts float. It's a freedom moment."
There is a drawback to this practice - new ideas are sparked even as his head reaches the pillow, and he's got to get up again and jot them down so they're not forgotten.
Supachet paints every day in his home studio, but hasn't got the patience to spend more than two weeks of his customary four hours a day on the same piece. "That's the maximum - I can't concentrate longer than that."
He's currently preparing 40 acrylics for a show at Hong Kong's Harbour City next November, his second exhibition overseas.
"And, of course, it's still about elephants - they love it.
"The elephant is my trademark, and I still enjoy painting elephants, even though some people complain that my stuff is repetitive.
"I think my work will naturally develop with inspiration, time and maturity. For me, art is expressing what you like."
"The Elephant Voice" continues until April 8, daily from 10 to 7.
Tanaporn Tangcharoenmankong
special to The Nation
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Published on March 13, 2008
Chiang Mai-based Supachet Bhumikarn has been painting pictures of the national symbol for six years, and 23 of his acrylics are on view in "The Elephant Voice", an exhibition at Bangkok's Banana Family Park on Soi Aree 1.
In the two years since his last show, "Fly with Me?", Supachet has continued to explore his mammoth motif as a means of achieving personal liberation.
"The elephant voice is the voice of my heart," says the 30-year-old. "It's about being freed from any shackles."
Supachet has finally managed to free himself from the burden he accrued in building his own house.
It took him two years to escape the worry and tension that came with the jumbo debt, and he's emerged optimistic and freshly inspired by everyday life.
"I want to mirror the peaceful mind that comes with being freed from fear or bondage. A bird represents freedom. Even a flying elephant and falling leaves are symbols of an independent mind."
"The Elephant Voice" has a perfect setting in the Sala Phunmee at Banana Park, a glass-enclosed hall used for weekly meditation sessions.
"People meditate to achieve a peaceful mind," Supachet says, "and my artwork also conveys that."
Last summer brought the opportunity to show his work at D'Annecy in France, where a hotel hosted a month-long Thai Festival that included the cuisine as well as the culture.
"It was my first exhibition overseas, and I was the first Thai artist that town had seen. I was feeling a bit of pressure!
"We're often told that foreigners know more about art than Thais, so we expect them to prefer complicated art. But at the festival, people told me they liked my work more than what they'd seen in previous years from other countries. They wanted to see art they could understand.
"They found my work cheerful and easy to get."
Needless to say, while in France, Supachet wasn't going to miss a chance to visit the Louvre in Paris.
"The masterpieces in the Louvre inspired me a lot. It gave me more courage in my own work."
One immediate effect evident in his latest work is the deliberate use of solid colours to give the painting more power. "Flying with Midnight Blue" has a winged white elephant soaring high above the full moon against a brilliant blue background, accompanied by many colourful birds.
"This is my favourite," Supachet says. "It was inspired by my habit of reviewing what I've done each day before going to bed. As I'm falling asleep I let my thoughts float. It's a freedom moment."
There is a drawback to this practice - new ideas are sparked even as his head reaches the pillow, and he's got to get up again and jot them down so they're not forgotten.
Supachet paints every day in his home studio, but hasn't got the patience to spend more than two weeks of his customary four hours a day on the same piece. "That's the maximum - I can't concentrate longer than that."
He's currently preparing 40 acrylics for a show at Hong Kong's Harbour City next November, his second exhibition overseas.
"And, of course, it's still about elephants - they love it.
"The elephant is my trademark, and I still enjoy painting elephants, even though some people complain that my stuff is repetitive.
"I think my work will naturally develop with inspiration, time and maturity. For me, art is expressing what you like."
"The Elephant Voice" continues until April 8, daily from 10 to 7.
Tanaporn Tangcharoenmankong
special to The Nation
Discuss
Add this link to...
Tell a friend
Bury
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