Meet our newest National Artists

Actress-dramatist Patravadi Mejudhon, actor Sa-ard Piempongsarn, classical western musician Dusadee Banomyong Boontasanakul, writer Chamaiporn Bangkombang and visual artist Panya Vijinthanasarn were on Monday named National Artists by the Culture Ministry.
They are among 12 artists in the performing arts, visual arts and literature granted the country’s highest level of recognition in cultural pursuits.
Thailand’s grand dame of the stage, Patravadi, 67, known as Kru Lek, has garnered many accolades over the years, both at home and abroad. The government of France made her a member of the Chevalier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 2011 and she received a lifetime achievement award from Thailand’s International Association of Theatre Critics the following year.
Patravadi’s career had just such a sheen from the start, when in 1973 she was named best actress at the Takkata Thong Awards - Thailand's Oscar - for her film debut in “Mai Mee Sawan Samrab Khun” (“No Paradise for You”). She spent years more on television before opening, in 1992, Thailand’s first open-air theatre.

The Patravadi Theatre served as a platform for rookie Thai and foreign performers, directors and choreographers to share and hone their skills while at the same time “educating” the Thai audience about what is possible in the theatre. A decade later came the Patravadi School and its Vic Hin Theatre in Hua Hin, valuable training ground for youngsters.
“Grandpa Sa-ard”, as the 83-year-old is fondly called, has also won multiple awards in his six-decade career. He studied cinema at Tokyo’s Nihon University and trained in television at NHK TV in Hong Kong before becoming – at age 23 – a pioneer of the Thai television industry. He has worked on the big screen since 1969, starring in “Prasart Sai” and appearing in more than 40 movies altogether.
“As a new National Artist,” he says, “I would like to give something back to the Kingdom by hosting workshops on acting and scriptwriting for young people, in order to preserve quality instead of being more concerned about ratings. Bad soap operas overload Thai television today while less attention is paid to producing good programmes for children.”
Dusadee Banomyong Boontasanakul of the Suanplu Chorus has been promoting contemporary Thai orchestral music abroad for almost two decades. The choir pioneered the combination of classical Thai and the Western choral tradition and gained a vast Thai audience for a genre not previously known here. The Suanplu Chorus performs regularly at official government functions, such as last year’s Thai-Myanmar Friendship Concert. Its 35 members, she says, are “cultural ambassadors” for Thailand.
Look tung master Pongsak Chantarukha, currently ailing at age 78, has been nominated before for recognition as a National Artist due to his nearly two decades onstage. Also finally achieving the honour are Sirichaichan Fakjamroon, maestro of the ranad-ek (traditional xylophone); Pongsak Jantarukkha, another beloved look tung performer; and Narong Janpoom, the gifted manipulator of shadow puppets.
“Through out 38-year career I’ve sought to preserve shadow-puppet theatre for the younger generations by bringing in modernity,” says Narong. “With solid support from the government, I hope it can be an educational tool to help young people better understand our culture and leave the drugs behind.”
At 59, Panya is the youngest visual artist ever named a National Artist. He’s renowned for his depictions of the Lord Buddha. Named in the same category, Chavalit Sermprungsum, 75, has been living for three decades in Amsterdam, where he does much to promote contemporary Thai art.
Architect Nit Hincheeranant, 90, is another recipient of the honour. He parlayed a master’s degree from Cornell University into a career laying the foundation for urban planing in Thailand. He also uncovered the ruins of the forgotten city of Jansan in Nakhon Sawan, which dates back to the Dharavati Period, prompting the government to finance conservation at other historical sites.
Interior designer Charoon Angsavanont, 78, one of the first people to pursue the trade in Thailand, has been honoured for such remarkable creations as the interior of the Thai Airways head office.
Silversmith Boonchuey Hiranwit, 81, has spent six decades preserving traditional techniques and adds this accolade to more than 25 other awards he’s collected over the years.
Author Chamaiporn, 65, becomes a National Artist in literature with hopes of encouraging young people to read and write more. “I have been writing about children and families for years and I hope this award will help extend my thoughts on such issues to the general public,” she says. “I want young people to realise that writing will let them learn more about themselves.”