Artistic intrigue: Thai national artist’s chilly encounter with graffiti mysteries
A compelling story about Chalermchai Kositpipat, a Thai national artist, has been shared on the Facebook page Little Mouse on the Cold Mountain Peak. The narrative unfolds in the chilly Chiang Rai province, near Wat Rong Khun, where an anonymous group painted graffiti on a wall.
One night, a group covertly began to create street art on a wall opposite the car park of Wat Rong Khun in Chiang Rai. This wall belonged to Chalermchai Kositpipat, a National Artist in the field of Visual Arts (painting), awarded in 2011.
The following morning, upon seeing the incomplete graffiti, Chalermchai decided to find the clandestine artists. Instead of reprimanding them, he asked them to complete their work and arranged for the area to be cleaned.
When the artists, who turned out to be three teenagers, were found, Chalermchai presented them with 10,000 baht to buy painting supplies and encouraged them to finish their artwork.
This incident transformed the spot into another landmark, with many locals and tourists flocking to see the new artwork, reported Sanook.
Narintorn Thomas, a close student of Chalermchai, also shared photos and video clips on Facebook. These posts, which documented the progress from finding the artists to the completion of their artwork, have received an overwhelming response. The spot has become a new check-in point, with the artist’s action earning widespread praise.
In related news, a Thai man was arrested in late March after he protested against the lese majeste law by spraying the number 112 and an anarchy symbol on the wall of Wat Phra Kaew, also known as the Temple of Emerald Buddha in Bangkok.
A 14 year old girl who operated the camera while livestreaming the man’s graffiti on social media was also detained. Read more about this story HERE.
In other news, in April this year, Phuket Police arrested a Ukrainian woman for spray painting slogans critical of Russia at a popular viewpoint. The 34 year old woman spray painted “#Russia is a terrorist state,” and “#Russia” on rocks and a bench at Khao Khad Viewpoint in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket’s main city district. Read more about this story HERE.
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