Location: Thailand
http://kongkhanun.blogspot.com
Kriangkrai Kongkhanun
Born 1980 in Bangkok,Thailand.
Education :
1999
Diploma,College of Fine Arts, Bangkok, Thailand.
2003
B.F.A. Printmaking, 2nd Hon., Department of Fine Arts, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand.
2007
Diploma, Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Florence Italy.
2010
M.F.A. Printmaking, Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Email : kongkhanun@gmail.com
Prizes and distinctions
2002
“Stateman Prem Tinnasulanon” Foundation Scholarship.
Special Prize, 14th Toshiba “Brings Good Things to Life” Art Competition, Bangkok.
2003
Silpakorn Pradit Award, 20th Exhibition of Contemporary Art by Young Artists, Bangkok.
Diploma from Department of Fine Art, King Mongkut’s of Technology Ladkrabang for The Best Studying Record.
2006
Italian Goverment Scholarship.
2009
2nd Prize, Silver Medal (Graphic Arts), The 55th National Exhibition of Art, Bangkok.
Special Prize, 21st Toshiba “Brings Good Things to Life” Art Competition, Bangkok.
2010
1st Prize, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, The 56th National Exhibition of Art, Bangkok.
Solo Exhibitions
2010 “ Spiritual Disease ” at Number 1 Gallery, Bangkok.
2011 “ Oceanic Wilderness ” at Number 1 Gallery, Art HK 11, Hong Kong.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2001
The 13rd Toshiba “Brings Good Things to Life” Art Competition, Bangkok.
2002
Hitachi 7th Painting Contest “ Inspire the Next”, Bangkok.
The 19th Exhibition of Contemporary Art by Young Artists, Bangkok.
The 14th Toshiba “Brings Good Thing to Life” Art Competition, Bangkok.
Tokyo International Mini – Print 2002, Tokyo, Japan.
International Mini – Print and Bookplate Exhibition, Cluj – Napoca, Romania.
2003
The 20th Exhibition of Contemporary Art by Young Artists, Bangkok.
The 15th Toshiba “Brings Good Thing to Life” Art Competition, Bangkok.
The 49th National Exhibition of Art, Bangkok.
"Monday Printmaking" Group Exhibition, Baan Bangkok Gallery, Bangkok.
3rd International Small Engraving Exhibition – Cremona 2003, Italy.
4th Kyoto International Woodprint Association (KIWA) Exhibition, Kyoto, Japan.
1st International Mini Print de Sarajevo, Bosnia.
International Mini – Print Biennial Cluj-2003, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
International Graphic Art Triennial Bitola 2003, Macedonia.
4th Egyptian International Print Triennial 2003, Egypt.
5th International Small Engraving Salon Carbunai 2003, Romania.
3rd Annual International Miniatures Exhibition Little m 2003, Lithuania.
2nd International Biennial of Mini-Print-Tatovo, Macedonia
X Biennial Guadalupana Images Guadlupanas III, Mexico.
2004
10th Anniversary of The Department of Fine Arts , King Mongkut’s Instite of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok.
The 50th National Exhibition of Art , Bangkok.
6th International Small Engraving Salon Carbunai 2004, Romania.
2nd International Mini Print de Sarajevo, Bosnia.
2005
The 51st National Exhibition of Art , Bangkok.
Tokyo International Mini – Print 2005, Tokyo, Japan.
‘‘ 1st Color up The Family ’’ Art Exhibition, Silom Galleria, Bangkok
11th International Biennial of Small Graphics and Exlibris – Ostrów Wielkopolski 2005, Poland.
Busan International Print Art Festival, Busan,Korea.
2nd International Experimental Engraving Biennial, Timisoara,Romania.
6th The “ Iosif Iser ” International Contemporary Engraving Biennial Exhibition, Ploiesti, Romania.
International Mini – Print Biennial Cluj-2005, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
3rd International Biennial of Mini-Print-Tatovo, Macedonia
1st International Small Size Engraving Salon “ Inter-Grabado” 2005, Uruguay, South America.
2006
5th Egyptian International Print Triennial 2006, Egypt
8th International Small Engraving Salon Carbunai 2006, Romania.
12th International Biennial Print and Drawing Exhibition 2006, R.O.C.
4th International Biennial of Graphic Art 2006, Francavilla al Mare – Sant Carles de la Ràpita, Italy and Spain.
2nd International Mini – Print 2006, Timisoara,Romania.
2007
The 53rd National Exhibition of Art , Bangkok.
5th Kyoto International Woodprint Association (KIWA) Exhibition, Kyoto, Japan.
Art Exhibition “Accademia in Mostra 2007”,Florence, Italy.
7th The “ Iosif Iser ” International Contemporary Engraving Biennial Exhibition, Ploiesti, Romania.
3rd International Experimental Engraving Biennial, Timisoara,Romania.
2008
The 54th National Exhibition of Art , Bangkok.
5th International Biennial of Graphic Art 2008, Francavilla al Mare – Sant Carles de la Ràpita,Italy and Spain.
3rd Beijing International Art Biennale (BIAB),Beijing, China.
4th International Biennial of Mini-Print-Tatovo, Macedonia.
1st International Competition Exhibition Mini Print and Ex Libris, Milan, Italy.
2009
The 55th National Exhibition of Art , Bangkok.
21st Toshiba “Brings Good Things to Life” Art Competition, Bangkok.
9th International Graphic and Ex-libris Exposition, Casale Monferrato, Italy.
15th International Print Biennial Exhibition Varna 2009,Boris Georgiev Art Gallery, Bulgaria.
8th The “ Iosif Iser ” International Contemporary Engraving Biennial Exhibition, Ploiesti, Romania.
5th International Biennial of Mini-Print-Tatovo, Macedonia.
2010
The 56th National Exhibition of Art , Bangkok.
Another Side, Contemporary Artists’ Dreams, La Lanta Fine Art, Bangkok.
Smallery Art Exhibition, ARDEL’s Third Place Gallery, Bangkok.
Art Exhibition “Thai-Chinese Art Exchange” , National Art Gallery, Bangkok and Xian, China.
4th Ars Maris Art Festival, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.
7th International Triennial of Small Graphic Forms Vilnius, Vilnius, Lithuania.
Art Taipei 2010 , Taipei, Taiwan.
2nd Penang International Print Exhibition, Penang State Art Gallery, Penang, Malaysia.
2011
The 57th National Exhibition of Art, Bangkok.
10th International Graphic and Ex-libris Exposition, Casale Monferrato, Italy.
6th Kyoto International Woodprint Association (KIWA) Exhibition, Kyoto, Japan.
“ Believer’s Paradise ” Koel Gallery, Karachi, Pakistan.
“Oceanic Wilderness ”
Steven Pettifor
A vast expanse of the planet’s surface, the world’s oceans are one of the last unexplored territories for man to unfurl and inevitably exploit. Since ancient times, the great blue seas have stirred the depths of the human imagination, invoking myths of the monstrous creatures like the Kraken, or more seductive mermaids and sirens. In Thailand’s rich spiritual and animistic iconography, the water dwelling Naga serpents are powerful protective deities.
A magnet for tourists, the foreboding reality of Thailand’s coastal waters is one of over fishing and increasing pollution from manmade detritus. Netted by negligent fisherman, the Irrawaddy dolphin is close to extinction and the graceful turtle fares little better in a bleak forecast for Asia’s aquatic species.
Continuing in his allegorical crusade to expose man’s spiritual malaise, previously manifested in the 2009 series Spiritual Disease, 31-year-old Kriangkrai Kongkhanun presents his latest prophetic woodblock prints. In Oceanic Wilderness, dorsal and tentacle entwine with pelagic and crustacean as they grapple with menacing anthropomorphic bestial forms. Unseen giants lurking beneath that cast analogies to our own personal demons, the artist also interweaves sperm and vaginal motifs in relation to consumption and reproduction.
The large-scale monochrome renderings are intricately carved rectilinear compositions that imply a journey of descent or ascent, depending on our interpretation. Evoking the symbolic decorative carvings featured in the architecture of Buddhist temples, the prints are infused with a contemporary countenance. Kriangkrai cleaves a cannibalistic devouring of souls in the relentless pursuit of individual aggrandisement. His hellish vision is symptomatic to much of Asia in its drive to develop and succeed.
Kriangkrai’s art maintains a firm tethering to his Buddhist heritage, with many Thai artists similarly pushing a morality conscious agenda. Invoking the surreal visions of Gothic painter Hieronymus Bosch, essentially his approach is struggle of good versus evil, that earthly desire and the ego negates spiritual enlightenment. Bound to the fundamentals of major world religions, this precept has pegged written and visual language for millennia.
Having attained a BFA in Printmaking (2003) from King Mongkut Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, in Bangkok, in 2006 Kriangkrai was awarded a scholarship by the Italian government to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, in Florence. His unique woodblock compositions have warranted inclusion in several international print expositions, biennials and triennials. Kriangkrai’s pertinent prints are proof of Thai art’s continuing proximity to craft traditions and techniques, and the contemporary currency instilled upon otherwise marginal forms.
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Wording by Steven Pettifor, Steven is a British born art writer and curator based in Bangkok
“Kriangkrai Kongkhanun,Oceanic Wilderness 1,Woodcut,200x100 cm,2011 ”
“Oceanic Wilderness ”
Steven Pettifor
A vast expanse of the planet’s surface, the world’s oceans are one of the last unexplored territories for man to unfurl and inevitably exploit. Since ancient times, the great blue seas have stirred the depths of the human imagination, invoking myths of the monstrous creatures like the Kraken, or more seductive mermaids and sirens. In Thailand’s rich spiritual and animistic iconography, the water dwelling Naga serpents are powerful protective deities.
A magnet for tourists, the foreboding reality of Thailand’s coastal waters is one of over fishing and increasing pollution from manmade detritus. Netted by negligent fisherman, the Irrawaddy dolphin is close to extinction and the graceful turtle fares little better in a bleak forecast for Asia’s aquatic species.
Continuing in his allegorical crusade to expose man’s spiritual malaise, previously manifested in the 2009 series Spiritual Disease, 31-year-old Kriangkrai Kongkhanun presents his latest prophetic woodblock prints. In Oceanic Wilderness, dorsal and tentacle entwine with pelagic and crustacean as they grapple with menacing anthropomorphic bestial forms. Unseen giants lurking beneath that cast analogies to our own personal demons, the artist also interweaves sperm and vaginal motifs in relation to consumption and reproduction.
The large-scale monochrome renderings are intricately carved rectilinear compositions that imply a journey of descent or ascent, depending on our interpretation. Evoking the symbolic decorative carvings featured in the architecture of Buddhist temples, the prints are infused with a contemporary countenance. Kriangkrai cleaves a cannibalistic devouring of souls in the relentless pursuit of individual aggrandisement. His hellish vision is symptomatic to much of Asia in its drive to develop and succeed.
Kriangkrai’s art maintains a firm tethering to his Buddhist heritage, with many Thai artists similarly pushing a morality conscious agenda. Invoking the surreal visions of Gothic painter Hieronymus Bosch, essentially his approach is struggle of good versus evil, that earthly desire and the ego negates spiritual enlightenment. Bound to the fundamentals of major world religions, this precept has pegged written and visual language for millennia.
Having attained a BFA in Printmaking (2003) from King Mongkut Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, in Bangkok, in 2006 Kriangkrai was awarded a scholarship by the Italian government to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, in Florence. His unique woodblock compositions have warranted inclusion in several international print expositions, biennials and triennials. Kriangkrai’s pertinent prints are proof of Thai art’s continuing proximity to craft traditions and techniques, and the contemporary currency instilled upon otherwise marginal forms.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wording by Steven Pettifor, Steven is a British born art writer and curator based in Bangkok
“Kriangkrai Kongkhanun,Whirlpool 3,Woodcut,200x100 cm,2010”
“Oceanic Wilderness ”
Steven Pettifor
A vast expanse of the planet’s surface, the world’s oceans are one of the last unexplored territories for man to unfurl and inevitably exploit. Since ancient times, the great blue seas have stirred the depths of the human imagination, invoking myths of the monstrous creatures like the Kraken, or more seductive mermaids and sirens. In Thailand’s rich spiritual and animistic iconography, the water dwelling Naga serpents are powerful protective deities.
A magnet for tourists, the foreboding reality of Thailand’s coastal waters is one of over fishing and increasing pollution from manmade detritus. Netted by negligent fisherman, the Irrawaddy dolphin is close to extinction and the graceful turtle fares little better in a bleak forecast for Asia’s aquatic species.
Continuing in his allegorical crusade to expose man’s spiritual malaise, previously manifested in the 2009 series Spiritual Disease, 31-year-old Kriangkrai Kongkhanun presents his latest prophetic woodblock prints. In Oceanic Wilderness, dorsal and tentacle entwine with pelagic and crustacean as they grapple with menacing anthropomorphic bestial forms. Unseen giants lurking beneath that cast analogies to our own personal demons, the artist also interweaves sperm and vaginal motifs in relation to consumption and reproduction.
The large-scale monochrome renderings are intricately carved rectilinear compositions that imply a journey of descent or ascent, depending on our interpretation. Evoking the symbolic decorative carvings featured in the architecture of Buddhist temples, the prints are infused with a contemporary countenance. Kriangkrai cleaves a cannibalistic devouring of souls in the relentless pursuit of individual aggrandisement. His hellish vision is symptomatic to much of Asia in its drive to develop and succeed.
Kriangkrai’s art maintains a firm tethering to his Buddhist heritage, with many Thai artists similarly pushing a morality conscious agenda. Invoking the surreal visions of Gothic painter Hieronymus Bosch, essentially his approach is struggle of good versus evil, that earthly desire and the ego negates spiritual enlightenment. Bound to the fundamentals of major world religions, this precept has pegged written and visual language for millennia.
Having attained a BFA in Printmaking (2003) from King Mongkut Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, in Bangkok, in 2006 Kriangkrai was awarded a scholarship by the Italian government to study at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, in Florence. His unique woodblock compositions have warranted inclusion in several international print expositions, biennials and triennials. Kriangkrai’s pertinent prints are proof of Thai art’s continuing proximity to craft traditions and techniques, and the contemporary currency instilled upon otherwise marginal forms.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Wording by Steven Pettifor, Steven is a British born art writer and curator based in Bangkok
Gold Flowers of Heaven 3
2012,acrylic on canvas 80 x 60 cm.
Gold Flowers of Heaven 3
2012,acrylic on canvas 80 x 60 cm.
“ Gold Flowers of Heaven 2 ”
“ Gold Flowers of Heaven 3 ”
