Thai Artists | Therdkiat Wangwatcharakul

Therdkiat Wangwatcharakul was born in 1971 and graduated with a Master in Painting from Silapakorn University in 2003. He often paints with oil on aluminium sheets and also with oil on canvas. The use of aluminium makes his play with light and shadow unique. Therdkiat’s work calls into question the medium it is relying on to come into being. His work interestingly operates on a paradox of empathy and disbelief. On the one hand, the life-like rendition of these works, enhanced by their massive size, calls the viewer to suspend their disbelief—that these are merely painterly representations—and empathise. On the other, the layering of paint drips on the surface intentionally prevents the viewer from being directly in contact with the represented. Typical to Therdkiat’s spatially sensitive compositions are his minimal urban-scapes. Focusing on mundane architectural detailing, weathered cracked concrete walls are penetrated by a partial window frame. Elevating the vernacular to sublimity, the artist draws attention to the subtle interplay of light and shadow, manmade and nature, by which he instils a mood of contemplation and meditation. He also harnesses staining techniques that imbue his canvases with the same metallic veneer of his mainstay aluminium surfaces, Therdkiat is a master at evoking the loneliness of the big city. Despite the over-crowded milieu of the Asian sprawl, often individual citizens’ find themselves isolated and distant from loved ones. Therdkiat has participated in several exhibitions in Thailand, as well as in Singapore, Japan, the Netherlands, Korea, and Spain, and USA. He was awarded the Jurors' Choice Prize in the ASEAN Art Awards in 2000.