Behind the black house

One of the most prolific representatives of Thai and Asian art, whose paintings and sculptures grace the collections of art lovers all over the world, Thawan Duchanee recently marked his 74th birthday with an auction of works by seven of the artists he has inspired. The event, “The 7+1 Inspiration by the Greatest Artist Thawan Duchanee 74th”, was held last week at Siam Paragon’s Hall of Mirrors, and introduced a special medallion, the Suriyachantraipop, models of which in precious metals were also up for sale.
“The name of the event comes from the movie ‘Seven Samurai’,” explained Thawan’s son Doytibet. “The number seven represents seven artists who were all inspired by Thawan’s work and the number 1 represents Thawan.”
The showcase included an accessories set inspired by “Suriyaphumijakkavan”, featuring a necklace, bracelet and ring by Doytibet, Minna Panyaloed’s “Meed Mang Fa”, along with a necklace, bangle and ring made from natural materials and animal horn by Attapol Kamwong and leather work by Rewat Deekaew.
British photographer Martin Reeves brought along his image of Thawan’s Baandam, the “Black House” museum in Chiang Rai, which also appears in a special book.
Nakorn Sampantarak for Nagara showed off fashions inspired by Thawan’s work while Pete Boonsanan brought his performance art.
“One great artist can inspire so many artists. That’s the idea behind this event. You can see that the seven artists do not paint like my father but my father’s works inspired them to create their own works of art. These seven artists are our friends, they are part of the family,” Doytibet said. “The event is like a thank you party to those interested in the Suriyaphumijakkavan medallions created to celebrate my father’s 73rd birthday last year. It is also a celebration of my father’s 74th birthday. Our works are the celebration.”
The Suriyaphumijakkavan medallions, created by Thawan, were themselves inspired by one of his own masterpieces, the Suriya Prapakoltol, a wall decoration at the heart of the 700-year-old Crottorf Castle in Germany. Created in 1977, Suriyaphumijakkavan blends the strength and sophistication of the West with the delicate nature of the East.
“When I arrived at the castle, Count Hermann Graf Hatzfeldt simply said to me, ‘You are my Michelangelo. Please work wonders on the walls of this castle for me with your hands, your dreams and your imagination’.
“While working, I chose my faith in Mars, the god of war, as my inspiration. I demonstrated the strength of stone and steel, the power of the mirror, German mystique and power, Italian suaveness, and the delicate and breezy nature of the Thai kanok design,” Thawan said at the time.
At the Bangkok event, guests admired Rewat’s leather works.
“Ajarn Rewat has been my mentor since I was young and his leatherworks are unique. Martin’s photographs are impressive and his views and angles are very artistic. He is one of the few remaining photographers to still use film and not just any film either. He uses infrared black-and-white film,” Doytibet said.
Rewat, one of Thawan’s apprentices, says that when he told Thawan he would
 like to be an artist, the master painter told him to open up his mind and practice his skills, not only in art but also in other languages, especially English.
“Ajarn Thawan told me that it would be impossible to be an artist if my knowledge were limited only to books printed in Thai. He told me to put emphasis on learning English so that I could read more articles about the art of the world,” Rewat recalls.
“Ajarn Thawan’s teachings are always my inspiration. He told me, ‘Be an eagle, do not succumb to being merely a pet. You have to be patient and be original. Copying couldn’t take you anywhere but being an original would make you an artist. For years, I have been living up to his teachings and finally he told me that it was my time to shine.”
Rewat’s dedication is reflected in his huge leather bags and an artwork made of cow skin on traditional house poles.
 “I started to focus on leather and bags after Ajarn Thawan told me that he could not find a practical bag for trekking. I did a lot of research about bags, not just on their function and design, but also their meanings in different cultures,” he said.
It was how he came up with his bags.
“These huge leather bags are not for daily use,” Rewat said. “They are bags of culture. I chose to weave the shoulder strap using the pattern from North Thailand. Each bag has its own meaning in the details and each and every one of them is full of my passion for art.”
Guests were also drawn to Reeves’ black-and white photos of Baandam. The Briton embarked on an enchanted journey 27 years ago, wandering around Asia’s ancient cities and capturing their charm. Infrared film captures not only visible light, but also light from the infrared spectrum, which is invisible to the naked eye, creating a distinctive dreamlike look.
His photos appear in the book “Thailand: Nine Days in the Kingdom” as well as in his own publication, “Angkor: Into the Hidden Realm”.
“Baandam is a perfect portrait, a perfect subject matter. It is not like the subjects that I photograph elsewhere. Everywhere I look, there are amazing angles, interesting shape and beautiful artwork. The curve, the light, everything is incredibly graceful. I like the interaction with nature as well. I was allowed to go inside behind the closed doors and it is amazing. Thawan must have spent years collecting those things,” Reeves enthuses.
“For a photographer, everything there is interesting. Everyday I can try something new. I’ve stayed there three times and I am looking forward to going back.”
Decades ago Silpa Bhirasri, founder of Silpakorn University and Thawan’s teacher, criticised the young student during his second year at the Faculty of Painting Sculpture and Graphic Arts.
“Your fish lacks the fishy smell. Your bird can't soar in the sky. Your horse can't gallop. You are just an imitator. This is not art,” he told him
Thawan took the words to heart and his fish now explore the deepest sea. His birds soar high in the sky, his horse gallops across the globe and his art inspires others.

IN THE NAME OF ART
After expenses, proceeds from the auction and sale will go to the establishment of a foundation to conserve art, culture and education. The funds will also be used for Baandam Museum, Baandam Art Space, scholarships for outstanding art students and to support and improve artist houses in Chiang Rai as learning centres and art and culture destinations.
Visit www.Thawan-Duchanee.com or call (089) 225 3333 or (083) 336 5333.