Thai paintings reach bids above Bt27 million

Among the 11 world auction records set at the 20th/ 21st Century Art sale series on November 28-29 were:

• Scream of Sorrowful by Thawan Duchanee, auctioned at HK$6,048,000 or 27.6 million baht;

• The Symphony of the Universe by Pratuang Emjaroen, also at HK$6,048,000 or 27.6 million baht.

Both painters were prominent national artists with uniquely distinctive styles.

Thawan Duchanee, who died in 2014, reshaped Thailand’s artistic terrain and constantly defied traditional aesthetics throughout his career. Drawing inspiration from Buddhist mysticism, surrealist ideology, and particularly German expressionism in his earlier works, Thawan’s paintings are infused with profound meaning and subtle nuances.

Scream of Sorrowful holds a special place among his works. He believed that artistic expression surpassed both nature and intellect, and viewed the immersion in art as a spiritual awakening. This painting emerged during a pivotal phase in his life, originating in 1968—the year he returned to Thailand after a transformative four-year stint at the Rijksakademie van Beeldende Kunsten in the Netherlands, supported by a government scholarship.

Scream of Sorrowful debuted during one of Thawan’s initial exhibitions upon his return to Thailand, gracing the cover of  local newspaper Siamrath. Accompanied by an extensive exhibition review, the painting garnered attention and marked a significant moment in the artist’s career.

In the same year, Thawan openly declared his artistic ambitions in the Thai journal, Dam Daeng Paritat, signalling the commencement of a radical exploration into Buddhist iconography and aesthetics in his creative endeavors.

Pratuang Emjaroen, who died in 2022, was renowned as the Father of Abstraction in Thailand’s art history. He embarked on a creative journey that mirrored his emotional struggles and revolutionary fervor during his youth.

In the mid-1960s, Pratuang chose to represent his ideals through the influx of mother nature. Celebrated as a prolific artist in Thailand, his Universe series stands out as the most coveted in his career.

The particular work sold at the auction captures the creative essence of the entire 1971 series of “The Symphony of the Universe”. It marked a crucial phase in his artistic evolution, shifting away from political and worldly themes to focus on the universe as a natural phenomenon.

Inspired by the organic shapes found in mother nature, Pratuang distilled these forms to their simplest, most abstract essence. Circles represented the sun and moon, while wild foliage transformed into expressive bursts of greens and blues, capturing the energy of the natural landscape through warm and vibrant colours.