Biography

A leading artist in Thailand, Preecha Thaotong's work is influenced by his close relationship with the temple and the spiritual environment. He uses both Thai and western techniques to accentuate the delicate interplay between light and shadow, prompting emotional response and questions. Preecha believes it is the shadow that contains the mystery. His impressions of Thai culture, particularly the unique temple architecture and murals, are blended with Buddhist beliefs in a way to reflect the serenity and harmony and the essence of traditional Thai art.

When Preecha was young he was given food from Wat Suwannaram, one of the oldest temples in Thonburi, Bangkok, and it was there that he began to appreciate the murals on the walls, the window frames of the ordination hall and the treasures of the temple.

While his very early works used acrylic, oil, watercolour, crayon and pencil drawing, and focused on nature, Preecha turned to abstract and semi-abstract art when he was a student at Silpakorn University in Bangkok. His 1975 "Temple" collection indicated a turning point and a strong interest in Thai traditional architecture. This was followed by a government scholarship to study at Accademia di Belle Arti Roma. Returning home, Preecha increased his focus on shade on the Thai temple walls. Temple (oil/acrylic) won first prize in Thailand's National Art Exhibition in 1978, and this achievement combined with other gold medals awarded in 1975 and 1979, earned Preecha the prestigious title of Honorary Artist of Thailand.

Temples decorated with multi-coloured mirrors, such as the Emerald Buddha Temple (Wat Phra Kaew) at the Grand Palace in Bangkok, interest Preecha most. He chooses angles that enable a focus on specific parts of a building, such as a door or window frame and plays with the effect of sunlight twinkling on the mosaic of tiny mirrors, applying three-dimensional shadow techniques. After careful study of the external walls, Preecha moved inside the temple and to further his observation of light passing through the windows onto the murals in old temples in Bangkok, some over 200 years old.

Preecha's most recent work includes some lithographs of previous award-winning paintings and experimentation with artificial light technology like projectors and cameras.

His many commissions include the mural painting in the Bank of Thailand and the mural painting prize from Thai government for ESCAP building in Bangkok. He was one of eight Thai painters chosen to illustrate HM the King of Thailand's work "Mahajanaka".

Preecha sees life as a journey and art as a process within it. Today, he still continues to experiment with new techniques and styles, while also working as an art instructor and Dean at Silpakorn University in Bangkok.