Aphiruk at the opening of his Chalong art show.

Both Phuket Town and Patong have their fair share of art galleries, and there’s a scattering of art shops in other parts of Phuket, especially in areas where there are plenty of expensive homes such as Surin Beach and Cherng Talay.

But Chalong? No. Not really. Especially not on the road down to the pier which, apart from the classy Kan Eang @ Pier restaurant, is best known for its bars and cheap ’n’ cheerful eateries.

That has now changed with the opening of a exhibition of works by Thai artist Aphiruk Punmoonsilp at B Café. The show, which runs until next weekend, features 24 of Aphiruk’s oils.

Aphiruk at work.

Aphiruk is a highly accomplished landscape artist. There’s nothing modern or avant garde about his style. He does not have an urgent social or philosophical message to convey. He simply celebrates the beauty of the Thai landscape, from the mountains in the north along the border with Burma to the shores of Phuket.

The paintings on show range in size from small seascapes 40×50 cm to an enormous landscape of Koh Racha, measuring 2 metres by 2.5.  Prices go from B20,000 to B250,000.

B Café is on the left side of the pier road, just before the car park. It is open from 1pm to 11pm daily. Call +66 (0) 76 383738 or email this address. For more abour Aphiruk, go here.

Fine art comes to Chalong is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Self portrait - the artists blinded by his tools.

It’s an oddity of the art world that Thai painters, living in a democratic country where there are very few constraints on expression, seem overwhelmingly stuck in a rut of tried-and-true topics – the Royal Family, Buddhism and rural life. There is plenty of beautifully executed art, but one does wish that more Thai artists would step outside of this envelope more often.

Yet in nearby Vietnam, with its “we’ll tell you how to think” Communist government, there is an ongoing blossoming of very high quality art covering every topic under the sun – apart, perhaps, from discontent with the rulers.

Affinity for fish - one of the nine pieces that make up 'Prayer'.

Fine examples of this high quality art comes from Nguyen Tan Cuong, whose work is now on show at D Gallery in the Royal Phuket Marina, with the collective title “Day Night & Day”.

Nguyen was born in Ho Chi Minh city in 1953, which presumably means that his life was fairly turbulent. This is ignored in the official biography, which mentions only that graduated from Saigon Fine Arts College in 1973, just two years before Saigon fell to the Communist onslaught. It also lists 35 group and solo exhibitions of his work, not only in Vietnam but also in Canada, the US, Italy, Korea and the Philippines.

Works by him hang in collections in the Vietnam National Art Museum, the Ho Chi Minh City Art Museum and in a museum in northern Italy. He is also the winner of eight art prizes in Vietnam. So he’s no slouch at painting.

The artist with D Gallery co-owner Pornthip Raksapiksu and his largest work in the show, 'Memory'. which is made up of 64 panels.

The 20 or so pieces on view at D Gallery range from figurative work to abstract, and from oil on canvas to mixed media, including paint brushes, rags, canvas tool bags and wire brushes. He also appears to have a particular affinity for fish, which appear in many of his works.

Many of the pieces consist of multiple related images – as many as 64 in the case of the largest work on show, Memory, which evokes memories of the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican, but with dolls replacing the angels – or demons.

Meeting him, Nguyen comes across as courteous, cheerful and, let’s say, totally normal. But some of his self-portraits hint at darker depths in his psyche. While his real face is round and pink, he portrays himself as long-faced, skinny and in grey and brown tones. In one mixed-media montage he is apparently blinded by rags and paintbrushes.

Nguyen’s works are built up in painstaking layers, with the result that many appear to glow from within. This is a a consummate artist at the height of his powers. Go and see the exhibition. If you’re thinking of buying, take a fat wallet. Prices range from tens of thousands of baht up to half a million.

Vietnamese creativity on show at D Gallery is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

This weird penguin-suited character lurks inside a water tank at Nai Harn. The tank was smashed by the 2004 tsunami.

Thai artist Bon describes himself as a street artist – much of his work adorns walls in various parts of Thailand, including Phuket. His work is a long way from the typical manga-inspired street art with complex-bordering-on-unreadable typography.

Bon’s work is colourful, yes, but also original, and slightly unsettling to look at, often featuring masks and distorted faces. We’ll let you judge for yourself from the pix on this page. For more, see his Flickr page.

But whatever darkness lies in this 28-year-old artist’s soul, is balanced by his generous heart. Bon also does work on canvas, some of which will go on show for a month at La Bodega in Patong, with part of the proceeds going to charity. The show’s opening will be on Friday January 22 at 6pm and will be open to all.

"TV Man" - mixed media on canvas.

A charity proceeds will go to the Bodega Project, which is managed by the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation. The project aims to expose local children to the arts by providing art supplies, gallery trips to Phuket Town, concert tickets, music lessons and canvas for painting.

At the opening there will be music provided by DJ K.I.T.T.Y, DJ Daryll, DJ Q Tooth, and live jam sessions with Bodega’s regular musos. Snacks will be provided by Chef Jed.

To get to La Bodega, go south down Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, past Jungceylon and it’s down the next soi on the left, the one with the Waterworld dive shop on the corner.  Tel 076-602191, Skype bodegaphuket, Facebook. For updates and events, the website is here.

Artist Bon to exhibit at Bodega in Patong is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Mickey the Monkey? Jirapat gives Micky Mouse the facial characteristics of Hanuman, the comic monkey god from the Ramakien.

Thailand has always been a sponge, soaking up outside influences. Watch Thai TV any day and and you’ll see ads full of references to Western culture and, to a growing extent, Japanese and Korean influences.

It’s not always a happy relationship – many Thais don’t like what they see as the erosion of Thai traditions – and it can be quite jarring at times, as demonstrated by artist Jirapat Tatsanasomboon, whose work is now on display at D Gallery in the Royal Phuket Marina.

This highly skilled painter, working in acrylics, drops Western cartoon icons such as Spiderman or Bugs Bunny, or Japanese ones such as Doraemon, into traditional Thai settings, setting off reactions that are at both hilarious and thought-provoking.

Doh! Horrified Thais hide as Homer Simpson strides through their ancient town (detail).

Rich in detail, with dozens of subtle cultural hints, each of the paintings offers hours of delight and cerebral stimulation.

Jirapat, who is 38, holds a master’s degree from Silpakorn University in Bangkok, the country’s top art college, and has had wok exhibited in Korea, Hong Kong, the US, Singapore, China and India as well as Thailand. The show at D Gallery will continue until January 31.

See the gallery website for more information.

A double-edged view of the cultural invasion of Thailand is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Holly Maitland Smith is just four years old, yet her work has already featured in nine exhibitions in Phuket and Bangkok. This is the acrylics-on-canvas painting that will be for sale at the charity event.

Works of art donated by internationally-renowned artists, galleries and local children will be up for sale on December 9 at Hung Fat’s restaurant, Kalim Beach, with all proceeds to go to the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation (PHBGTUF).

Included in the line-up is a Warholesque portrait of Mao Zedong (valued at B100,000) by Alan Boswell, a landscape with cheetahs (valued the same) by South African impressionist Paul Van Rensburg, and an abstract work by locally-based Varaporn “Map” Pornrit called Inspired by Nature and valued at B140,000.

More affordable is a painting of foliage by Chiang-Mai based artist Apichat Panuwong, valued at B7,000, and two portaits of monks by Burmese painter Zaw Zaw, valued at B25,000 and B35,000.

Also on sale will be a dozen or more remarkably sophisticated paintings by local kids ranging in age from nine to 12 years old and one – the most surprising of all – by Holly Maitland Smith, who is just four years old. Holly, a pupil at the British International School, started painting on canvas when she just two, and since then has completed approximately 250 works. She has her own website here.

Entry to the event costs B1,000 a head, which includes two glasses of wine or beer, and canapés. Apart from an auction, there will also be a prize raffle.

All proceeds will go the the PHBGTUF, which was started after the 2004 Asian Tsunami by the late Tom McNamara, founder of the Baan Rim Pa restaurant group, which includes Hung Fat’s. The foundation currently supports 600 children by educating them to international standards in English, with the aim of giving them a better chance, long-term, at a satisfying and productive career.

As Tom explained when he set up the foundation, “Education is a gift that stays with you forever. You can’t sell it and nobody can take it away from you. It is the best way for us to give back to this island that has been so good to us.” The PHBGTUF website is here.

Art sale at Hung Fat’s restaurant for Phuket charity is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Detail from one of Kwanchai's intricately detailed bird's eye views of the capital.

Galeria 346, on the corner of Phuket Rd and Kra Rd, has scored an art coup by securing an exhibition of the highly talented 26-year-old Thai artist Kwanchai Lichaikul, from October 24 until the end of January next year.

Kwanchai, who was born in Uttaradit but is based in Bangkok, has put together an exhibition titled Ideal City, featuring intricate paintings and drawings of the capital city, which at first sight are reminiscent of the detail-filled murals to be found in Buddhist temples.

Closer inspection, however, reveals more secular, more disturbing elements – political demonstrations and anti-terrorist training exercises, for example – all taking place among the workaday lives of the people of Bangkok.

The welcoming facade of Phuket346, café, art gallery and very, very small hotel.

Kwanchai says his work is “inspired by today’s society and community, which consists of various people with different ways of life – people live in the uncertainties created by the economy, society, politics, religion, environment and culture, which are all intertwined.”

Society is seen from a bird’s eye view, with groups of people, animals, buildings, houses, roads and other structures presented by Kwanchai as a story, and combined with his own dreams, imagination and personal point of view, to give a vision of a recognisable yet fantastic city.

Galeria 346, which started life in the 1930s as Phuket’s first ice shop, is today a café and art gallery downstairs with three cosy guest bedrooms above. For more on the place, go here.

Fantastic view of Bangkok comes to Phuket is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Here a SimpleViewer Flash gallery should be displayed. Click here to open the post in your browser to see the gallery.

Phuket Fashion Week Photo Report is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Each bowl created by Nino Sarabutra is different.

&Joy! Creative Lifestyle Boutique and Gallery, which soft-opened just a month ago not far from Laguna, will open its first exhibition, “Exploring Love” by Thai artist Nino Sarabutra on April 17.

Exploring Love is a wall installation of heart-shape stoneware bowls. Each is hand-made, as the artist (who, when she’s not pottering about, is a successful advertising creative director) explains, “In working with these bowls, I keep exploring,” she says. “It’s just like love. I never knew how each one would turn out. Every bowl was different; different clay, different glaze, different temperature, different degrees of care and attention.

“Sometimes the clay was too much, too little, too thin, too thick, too stubborn, too soft. Sometimes I was too quick, or too ponderous. So many times I failed, so often I wanted to give up; as with love. Even when you are quite certain that it is right you can still be wrong. Often I expected one thing, but got another – a pleasant surprise.”

If I am careless with the bowls I can easily break them, drop them or create defects. If I am too careful I don’t get any fun out of them. They pull me down, they lift me up and they keep me going.”

I love exploring new resources and materials. There is no need to always use something modern. I love experimenting with things around me, something that’s already there but never tried before, such as wood ash from my mother’s stove; it gave me golden brown glaze.

Figurine by Winai Chaso.

One of Kai Kingsley's black and white paintings, to be showcased in "Faces".

“So now my Mum is collecting wood ash for me even though she rarely uses a charcoal stove these days. Imagine Mum collecting ash day in day out for months before posting it to me. It’s not only the outcome that matters for me – equally, the process needs to be warm and full of love.”

The gallery – which is the personal project of Dominique Rongé, Assistant Manager of The Chedi resort – has already scheduled two more exhibitions. The first, “People of the Hills”, opening May 23, will showcase  ceramic figurines created by Chiang Rai artist Winai Chaso. The second, “Faces”, will open a month later. It will consist of paintings by Kai Kingsley III.

The gallery is on the right side of Srisoonthorn Rd, just to the west of Baan Manik, and about halfway between the Heroines Monument and Cherng Talay (see map below). For more information contact Dominique at dominiqueronge@hotmail.com or see the website.

Bowled over by love is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.

Off the wall? Hardly. Left field? Yes. One of the works by d.e.a. on show at Gallery 346.

Street art – the kind that evolved from graffiti in France in the 1940s, is now a worldwide phenomenon. In Thailand, unlike, say, New York, street artists are polite, generally civic-minded people. True, what they do is, strictly speaking, illegal. But they don’t spray-paint buses or trains, or the windows of banks. Their work appears exclusively on walls no one seems to want – where a building is being demolished, art will mushroom overnight. Abandoned, crumbling structures similarly get the midnight treatment.

Much of the street artists’ work that appears in Phuket (indeed, Thailand as a whole) is derivative – the angular, spiky text, for example. These days, young Thais tend to take their cultural cues from Tokyo. The days of American cultural domination are long gone, so the artists’ work also contain references to manga – Japanese comic books. And there are also, naturally, Thai motifs. Much of the art also has connections to Thailand’s lively hip-hop scene.

Although Thailand has yet to see work as outstandingly original as that of Banksy, Swoon or Neck Face, there is still some interesting art out there for all to see.

Just as elsewhere, the energy and talent of some of the top graffiti artists has attracted buyers and patrons and has moved the art from the street into art galleries. One such exhibition has just opened at Gallery 346 in Phuket Town, showcasing work by d.e.a., aka Kitja Yamunsabedin, and TG, aka TorLarb Intararuensorn.

Sophisticated typography by TG.

Both did their time on the street, starting in 1994 in the same “crew”. But in the intervening 15 years they have received corporate recognition, with their work appearing in competitions organised by the likes of the MBK Center in Bangkok, Singha Soda and Red Bull, and even at the highly respectable Chulalongkorn University, the country’s equivalent of Oxford or Harvard.

Gallery 346 is at the intersection of Phuket Road and Kra Road in Phuket Town, not far from the Robinson department store. Apart from the gallery, the building also contains a café and three basic but cheerfully comfortable guest rooms.

The exhibition continues until mid-June and is open to all.

Wall-eyed in Phuket is an article from: Phuket Observer - Phuket lifestyle magazine.