What Did the Buddha Teach No.1 (2016) by Pradit TungprasartwongArt Centre Silpakorn University
Pradit Tungprasartwong creates art in the tradition of realism. He employs oil colours and demonstrates a skillful use of brush strokes.
His painting is rich in symbolic meanings and presents religious principles and philosophical teachings which human beings use to guide their lives.
The dark background helps emphasise the body of an old man, with rough, wrinkled skin and eyes that cannot see clearly, placed in harmony with other elements in the picture. Irrefutably, the picture is a masterful and powerful work of fine art.
The old man represents seasonal changes according to the law of nature and different stages of human life. Wrinkles, dry skin, partially impaired vision and white hair all show that the man has a wealth of experience and has been through good times and bad times in life.
The eyes which are silently staring and tears stains left on the face are focal points of the work, displaying emotions, feelings and atmosphere of sadness.
This can be interpreted as reflecting religious principles with regard to impermanence, which is the central theme of the painting.
Realism in the painting focuses on accurate anatomical principles of human beings.
Realism allows the artist to highlight details of the body, skin and imperfection. The artist utilises a wide range of paintbrushes of different directions and sizes, demonstrating his precision and skillfulness.
The use of white, grey and black colour is to highlight the weight of light and shadow, including accurate physical structure according to anatomical principles.
The inclusion of warm colour tone is to create liveliness. This is the artist’s signature allowing him to take control of the overall atmosphere and the presentation of content.
The inclusion of surrealist elements also allows the artist to present some didactic messages. In his works, he paints crematoriums placed above human heads, burning hair and butterflies.
All these subject matters express clear messages and add clarity to the meaning of content.
The artist’s work is exceptional in terms of physicality, realism, creative process and his unique technique, which together help him to articulate his messages profoundly.
The artist is inspired by Buddhist teachings that are the heart of his artistic development.
This artwork is a part of Silpakorn Art Collections, which are award-winning works from the National Exhibition of Art and Exhibition of Contemporary Art by Young Artists. They are under the care and the management of Art Centre Silpakorn University.
