Painting Lively Lanna Culture of Northern Thailand

Prasong Luemuang presents the rural lifestyle of people in the northern region of Thailand. 

His aesthetic is influenced by, blends and appropriates the tradition of Lanna art, expressed through people, animals and imaginary objects that he creates with a sense of newness. 

Due largely to his northern background, he incorporates his own culture and tradition into his work. 

The symbols in the painting reflect the influence of the Lanna culture on the artist while the characters are inspired by his own personal stories and the simple lifestyle of rural people. 

He uniquely weaves stories into the convention of Lanna art. The characters, lines, facial expressions and postures are appropriated, fused with the artist’s own imagination. 

His work resembles Thai traditional paintings which narrate stories through a flat character. 

However, his drawing technique and his brushstrokes are different. 

The picture is crated with skillful brushstrokes, bold lines and the marvelous use of line and pattern. 

The postures of these characters evince a sense of freedom. The brushstrokes quickly swirling are charged with emotions and movements. 

The artist incorporates symbols and cultural allusions into the work, making it an exceptional work of art. 

Moreover, he includes Lanna traditions and cultural practices such as traditional textiles with quintessentially Lanna patterns, betel chewing, tattoos and Lanna characters.

The colour tone creates a new creative direction of Thai fine art that undergoes the processes of appropriation and adaptation. He makes use of a more lively and vivid tone. 

There is a colour gradient in certain areas such as the face to create dimension. 

Elements scatter throughout the picture in different and, sometimes, contrasting directions. Emotions are expressed through eyes of each character that bring about unity and coherence to the story. 

Though the elements of the picture seem to scatter throughout the picture, they are linked together through patterns and lines that establishes a sense of harmony and unity to it. 

The picture is inspired by the simple lifestyle of people in the countryside.

It is combined with outstanding characteristics of the Lanna culture and fun traditional games. This eclectic quality renders the work unique, outstanding and, most significantly, contemporary. The work promotes and disseminates the Lanna culture.