'Phi Ka', A Lanna Tradition of Northern Thailand

In the past, human beings were petrified with natural perils because of the inability to explain such occurrences. 

This fear and inexplicability of the nature led to forms of worship of the invisible such as ancestral spirits and ghosts with the belief that these invisible ghosts and spirits would protect them from evil natural forces. 

This belief has been passed down from generation to generation.The artist, Weerasak Sutsadee, was born in the northern region of Thailand, a region rooted in traditional rituals and superstitious beliefs.

The artist was influenced by his personal experience, childhood environment and ancestral myths, which inspire him to convey such things distinctively and uniquely in his work.

His painting is a testament to the unique culture and belief of the northern region of Thailand. In the painting, he paints three figures of dazzling women dressed in traditional costumes.

A simple atmosphere is conveyed in a black, white and grey tone. The mystery is then emphasised by the redness of sarongs with quintessentially Lanna patterns woven to express the distinctiveness of the culture.

The three figures of women sitting on the logs are conveyed exquisitely. These focal points of the painting function as narrators telling stories. The women have a calm face and penetrating eyes placed at the same level with those of audience members as if the  young females are communicating with them.

Phi Ka is a belief that reflects the aesthetic tenet with regard to young women. In the past, it was believed that ghosts were all powerful and if you owned them, it would bring about plenty of benefits to you, especially those related to beauty.

The artist conveys the beauty embedded in the local belief. 

The animal which looks like a black monkey functions as a kind of Phi Ka. In the past, Phi Ka was owned and confined in a clay pot.

However, the technologisation and globalisation of the world propels the change in people’s belief. More and more people today have renounced this traditional belief in ghosts and spirits. 

The shattering of clay pots, thus, reflects an era which is changing at a breakneck speed and the development of people’s beliefs. Symbols employed in the picture fascinatingly tell stories of such changes and developments.

The artist chooses acrylic colours which he paints on a canvas. Using a darker tone as a background highlights the focal points of the picture painted with a fainter tone on a smooth texture. 

In so doing, the female figures look exceptionally smooth and soft as though they were real humans. This technique is remembered as a trademark of the artist. 

The artist uses the lightest tone of colour. The light and shadow is  then underscored by small brush strokes. He utilises the technique similar to drawing which is done with utmost fineness. 

The various degree of heaviness produces the translucence of colour texture while the layers of brush strokes produce light and shadow in the picture. 

The artist conveys the beauty of female figures based precisely on anatomical principles.

The faces communicate emotions and verisimilitude. The eyes are expressive, so the audience can sense the power of communication that the artist harmoniously blends into the story and all symbols in the picture. 

Cultural symbols and allusions rooted in the tradition and belief of the northern region of Thailand are also prominent in the picture. This exquisiteness and uniqueness, albeit simple, is loaded with stories.

Although such belief and story are no longer popular, the artist’s work demonstrates cultural values and promotes the beauty of his own culture in a contemporary fashion.