The Tiger finds the Lion

Every boy has his beloved cartoon hero, maybe Superman, sometimes the X-Men. For Somboon Hormtientong it was Sing Dam (the Black Lion) of Thai comic-book fame, created in the early 1960s by Raj Loesuang, who had his own fan following.
 Before sturing at Poh Chang College, Somboon wanted to be a cartoonist too. In 1966 he created a character called Puen Pikart (the Gunman) and later published his own comic book, “Chat Payak” (“Black Tiger”).
While Raj, though still only middle-aged, decided in 1973 to retiring from cartooning, Somboon was garnering international attention as an artist, some of his works being purchased for European museums. Self-taught, and starting out as a “mere” cartoonist, he became a student of Chang Tang, one of Thailand’s pioneers of conceptual art.
Chang was his mentor from 1968 to 1973, and then Somboon pursued a master’s degree at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, Germany, under Professor Robert Jakobsen. He returned home after two decades overseas and settled in northern Loei province, in far-flung Chiang Khan district.
And then, three years ago, Somboon met Raj, entirely by coincidence, in Bangkok. It was a dream come true, and there was more. Raj accepted Somboon’s invitation to collaborate on a conceptual-art project. Each of them created a comic strip in his own style, complete with Raj’s Sing Dam reborn.
The fruit of their collaboration is the highlight of Somboon’s retrospective exhibition continuing into May at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre. Somboon, now 64, has humbly called the show “Raj Loesuang and the Boy Somboon Hormtientong”.
Their original comic art is displayed in glass cabinets in the centre of one room, the old Black Lion in action again amid the younger artist’s decidedly more abstract illustrations.
“The first thing I felt when I met Khun Raj was recalling my childhood, drawing cartoons inspired by him,” says Somboon. “I always wanted to collaborate with him, at least once, and dedicate my work to his wisdom. With this show, younger generations will learn more about him.”
He admits it was a challenge making sure there was harmony in their combined effort, and Raj, now 73, says he took inspiration in turn from Somboon. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it myself. Drawing is so much harder now.
“A younger cartoonist, Oom Rachavej, once brought me paintbrushes and ink and I spent more than eight months trying to ‘make a comeback’, but it all ended up in the rubbish. But then I met Somboon, who encouraged me to join his art project. I was quite excited and enjoyed doing it, even though I don’t really understand his abstract art!” Raj chuckled.
In the new and wholly unexpected series, Sing Dam ventures to an unknown land peopled by characters inspired by Chinese and Westerners. The drawing is figurative, of course, and the text as easy to follow as ever, but Somboon’s abstraction requires more imagination to reinterpret.
The black and white strips show his signature skilful technique, leaving positive and negative spaces strategically around the white pages. Yet Somboon goes far beyond the realism of his training in youth.
His work from the late 1960s and early ’70s is on view nearby – surrealistic paintings, drawings, semi-abstracts and installations – some of reflecting the influence of his teacher Chang Tang.
Huge colourful abstract paintings from the late 1990s appear elsewhere, as do Somboon’s most recent works, from the past three years – beautiful, minimalist semi-abstracts of simple subject matter like an elephant, a horse and a bear.
Somboon regards painting as a form of meditation. “Painting in the abstract requires peace of mind and discipline,” he says. But there is also social criticism in his installation “Departure” from 2012.
Crafted wooden elephants walk around a trio of others placed on the floor, which has stickers bearing the names of foreign countries. Thus the souvenir elephant sculpture represents Thai culture as a cheap export.
It’s a testament to the diversity of approaches that Somboon has learned and tested over the years. “Making different kids of art keeps me alive and awake,” he says. “I never stop learning.”

FUN FOR KIDS
“Raj Loesuang and the Boy Somboon Hormtientong” continues until May 12 on the ninth floor of the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre.
Creative Art and the Dinnammon and n Chuenmuen groups will conduct a workshop for children ages 10 to 12 titled “Drawn Cartoon Seen Oneself” on April 20 and 21 from 1 to 4pm.
Independent artists from Let’s Comic including Tripuck Supawattana , Wirachai “The Duang” Duangpla and editor Tanyaluck Techasrisuthee will conduct a workshop on “Character Design” for children over 13 on April 28 from 2 to 4pm.
Tanyaluck will join Raj and Somboon for a discussion on May 11 from 2 to 4pm called “The First Step Cartoon and Next Step Thai Cartoon”.
For reservations, call (02) 214 6630-8, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.BACC.co.th.