Artist of the Day, July 22, 2024: Chalermchai Kositpipatm, a Thai visual artist, painter (#2082)

Chalermchai Kositpipat (1955) is a Thai visual artist. Primarily a painter known for his use of Buddhist imagery, Chalermchai's works have been exhibited worldwide.

Chalermchai Kositpipat was born into a Sino-Lanna family. His father was a Chinese immigrant from Guangdong while his mother is Thai Chinese. He later attended Silpakorn University, which was Thailand's primary visual arts school. He graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Thai art in 1977.

He started out painting movie advertisements on billboards. His early murals mixed traditional Thai Buddhist temple art with contemporary images.

In 1980 Chalermchai visited Sri Lanka as his first trip abroad and stayed there for six months, studying Sri Lankan architecture, sculpture, painting and Buddhist temples. He was influenced by white statues and temples in Sri Lanka. He worked closely with Sri Lanka's veteran artist Manju Sri. Chalermchai held a solo art exhibition at Lionel Wendt Art Gallery in Colombo, Sri Lanka. After the exhibition he brought those art pieces to Thailand and sold it all.

He was commissioned in 1988 to paint murals for Wat Buddhapadipa in London. The murals took four years to complete and were controversial because of the contemporary styling. "I got complaints from everybody – from the [Thai] government, from monks and from other artists, saying that what I was doing was not Thai art" he was quoted as saying in 1998.

Among his works is Wat Rong Khun, an ornate white Buddhist temple being built in his native Chiang Rai province. Work on the temple was started in 1997, and still continues.

"Only death can stop my dream but cannot stop my project" Chalermchai was quoted as saying about the temple, adding that he believes the work will give him "immortal life". He was the first visual arts honoree for the inaugural Silpathorn Award, created in 2004 to honor living Thai contemporary artists at mid-career. Later in 2011, he was honored by Thailand's National Culture Commission as a National Artist.

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Chalermchai Kositpipat

 Morals, Meditation and Wisdom, 2010

 The Blessing of Lord Buddha, 2006

Spirit to the Nirvana, 2006

The Gateway to Nirvana, 1994

Spiritual Eye, 1994

 Indra at Travatimsa Heaven, 1993

The Praise of the Lord Buddha, 1992

 Telepathy, 1990

 Good and Evil, 1990

Heavenly Vehicle to the Heaven, 1989

 Heavenly Vehicle to Buddhist Land, 1987

 Black Magic Defy Goddess, 1987

Untitled

Untitled

Wat Rong Khun (the White Temple) 1997 ---  Chiang Rai, Thailand

Wat Rong Khun wall painting