Young Thai artists win big in Japan art competition
Two students from Phayao’s Chiang Kham district, who have been taking special arts classes at the Pim Silp Arts School, have won awards from Tokyo’s 49th International Children’s Art Exhibition (ICAE), the school’s owner Pimchanok “Khru Muey” Sriprasert said on August 20.
Sirawich “Toto” Katib, seven, a Prathom 1 student from Piyamit School, was among four Thai children who won the “Supreme Gold Award”, for which he got a gold medal, a certificate signed by the Japanese foreign minister and Bt5,000 in cash.
Meanwhile, Puttipat “Bright” Ruamsuk, 6, a Kindergarten 3 student also from Piyamit School was among 22 children worldwide to receive a “Gold Award”, Pimchanok said.
These two students joined 51,600 children from across the world, aged between three and 15, in sending their pieces of art to the competition. Successful entries will be displayed in galleries and art spaces across Japan.
Some 3,000 young Thai artists entered for the competition, 166 of whom won awards from the ICAE.
Japanese stationary brand Pentel has been holding this competition since 1970 to promote imagination and expression through art. The awards were handed out to the Thai winners in a ceremony at Gateway Ekkamai shopping mall on August 17.