A REVITALISATION of the working class “Blue House Cluster” in Hong Kong, China, has received the Award of Excellence in this year’s Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for cultural heritage conservation.

Sixteen projects from six countries – Australia, China, India, Iran, New Zealand, and Singapore were also recognised in this year’s Heritage Awards by an international panel of conservation experts.

The Blue House Cluster project in Hong Kong won the Award of Excellence of in this year’s Unesco AsiaPacific Awards.

“The jury was impressed by the heroic nature of the conservation projects, especially those that underscore the importance of protecting heritage that is rooted in the least powerful segments of society,” says Duong Bich Hanh, the jury’s chairman and chief of Unesco Bangkok’s Culture Unit.

The jury described the Blue House Cluster, three 20th-century shophouse blocks in Hong Kong, as “a triumphant validation for a truly inclusive approach to urban conservation. A broad alliance, spanning from tenants to social workers and preservationists, waged a grassroots advocacy campaign to save the last remaining working-class community in the fast-gentrifying enclave of Wan Chai. This unprecedented civic effort to protect marginalised local heritage in one of the world’s most high-pressure real estate markets is an inspiration for other embattled urban districts in the region and beyond.”

The restoration of late 19th-century workers’ cottages along Brookman and Moir Streets in Perth of Australia won the Award of Distinction.

The Brookman and Moir Streets Precinct project in Perth of Australia was recognised with an Award of Distinction. The restoration of late 19th-century workers’ cottages along Brookman and Moir Streets has thoughtfully revived a modest but historically significant housing district dating back to the Western Australian gold boom. Individual homeowners undertook the loving refurbishment of the simple Federation Queen Anne semi-detached dwellings, which had suffered from years of unsympathetic change and dilapidation.

With financial support from the City of Vincent and the local Heritage Council and technical guidance from conservation professionals, the original architectural character and material palette of each red brick building was carefully recovered. Catalysed by the renovation of a single house that went on to inspire nearby residents, the project has revitalised the streetscape and returned a sense of community to the area. The revival of the Brookman-Moir precinct underscores the importance of recognising and safeguarding everyday urban fabric as part of a holistic strategy in sustaining historic urban landscapes.

This year saw a surge in submissions for the New Design in Heritage Context category. Three projects, two from China and one from Iran, were recognised in this category, the highest number of winners since it was launched in 2005. The award recognises newly built structures that demonstrate outstanding design well integrated into historic contexts.

The transformation of the 1950s Cosmic Porcelain Factory in Jingdezhen, China into a museum and mixed-use facility won the Award of New Design in Heritage Context.

Jingdezhen Ceramic Industry Museum in Jingdezhen, China is one of three winning projects in this category. The transformation of the 1950s Cosmic Porcelain Factory into a museum and mixed-use facility showcases Jingdezhen’s fame as a world-renowned ceramic production centre and opens up the former factory space for broad public use.

Based on the principle of minimal intervention, the choice of a streamlined modern industrial aesthetic responds to the mid-twentieth century industrial architecture of the historic factory building, providing a muted backdrop that allows the kiln remains to take the spotlight. The contemporary materials palette creates a dramatic counterpoint to the original brick structures. The new design respects the form and scale of the former factory and creates innovative opportunities to interact with the famous ceramic production facilities.

The jury selected projects from 43 submissions, including 31 in the Conservation category and 12 for New Design.

Other Awardees are:

Award of Distinction:

-Brookman and Moir Streets Precinct, Perth, Australia

-Holy Trinity Cathedral, Shanghai, China

Award of Merit:

-Christ Church, Mumbai, India

-Royal Bombay Opera House, Mumbai, India

-Sri Ranganathaswamy Temple, Srirangam, India

-Great Hall and Clock Tower Buildings, Arts Centre, Christchurch, New Zealand

Honourable Mention:

-Bomonjee Hormarjee Wadia Fountain and Clock Tower, Mumbai, India

-Gateways of Gohad Fort, Gohad, India

-Haveli Dharampura, Delhi, India

-Wellington Fountain, Mumbai, India

-Aftab Cultural House, Isfahan, Iran

-Cathedral of the Good Shepherd and Rectory Building, Singapore

New Design in Heritage Context:

-Jingdezhen Ceramic Industry Museum, Jingdezhen, China

-Macha Village, Gansu Province, China

-Persian Gulf University – Faculty of Art & Architecture, Bulshehr, Iran

Further information about the Unesco Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation and this year’s winning entries can be found at: http://Bangkok.Unesco.org/content/winning-projects.

The call for entries for the 2018 UNESCO Heritage Awards will be made at the end of 2017. Details will be available on the awards website.

            First published in 1937, “Behind the Painting” tells the story of Nopphorn, a Thai scholarship student studying in Japan, who falls in love with MR Kirati, a married noblewoman  he helps take care of during her first visit to Japan with her husband, Chao Khun Atthikanbodi.  A forbidden love torn apart by age and class, the classic tragedy has been adapted into plays, TV dramas and feature films.

Chulayarnnon is inspired by both the original novel and the 2001’s feature film directed by Cherd Songsri of the same name.

He first introduced his version of “Behind the Painting” in “Media/Art Kitchen: The Politics of Humor and Play” – a group exhibition at Aomori Contemporary Art Center in 2014 when he was on an artist-in-residence programme.  The following year, he presented his solo show, “Behind the Painting”, at Silpakorn University’s Art Centre.

For his new show titled “Museum of Kirati”, Chulayarnnon has changed the gallery into a memory palace, filled with paintings and sculptures depicting MR Kirati when she was young.  His aim, he says, is to create a space where visitors can reminisce and revisit to know her more deeply.

“Kirati represents the post-revolution aristocracy that had no prospect of returning to its former prosperity.  In this regard, I wish to resurrect her to live in the present day through a thorough investigation into her life before the revolution.  I hope she will be remembered and come back to life in this museum.”

The show runs from November 18 to January 21 at the gallery on Sathorn Soi 1 (MRT: Lumpini station). It’s open Wednesday to Sunday, from 1pm to 7pm.

Find out more at (083) 087 2725 or visit www.BangkokCityCity.com.

BANGKOK’S CO-LIVING space Open House at Central Embassy and Thailand Creative and Design Centre were among the winners in the Asia Awards category of the DFA Awards organised by Hong Kong Design Centre.

Open House at Central Embassy was among the winners in the Asia Awards category.

The Open House won the grand award in the Asia Awards category. Designed by Japanese company Klein Dytham Architecture, the 7,000 square-metre space boasts a bookstore, bars, lounges, restaurants, a children’s zone, co-working spaces, pop-ups stores, and an art tower. It is an integrated lifestyle space that caters to various needs.

Instead of the box-like retail spaces, Open House’s businesses coalesce around the bookstore. Visitors are free to browse, or sit down to enjoy a good read, or perhaps to enjoy a coffee or a meal when they feel they need to refuel.

Thailand Creative and Design Centre at the new location at the Grand Postal Building also won in the Asia Awards category.

Also recognised in the same category was the Thailand Creative and Design Centre (TCDC) at its new location at the Grand Postal Building on Charoen Krung Road. The repurposed building boasts more than 9,000 square metres across five floors. It has a library, exhibition area, materials and innovation centre, maker space and co-working space. The building’s rooftop has been transformed into a garden, giving users a much-needed space to relax and get their creative juices flowing again.

Agri-Chapel in Nagasaki of Japan is outstanding for its intricate space frame truss work.

Agri-Chapel in Nagasaki of Japan, designed by Momoeda Yu Architecture Office was honoured for its outstanding design. As visitors enter the Agri-Chapel, their eyes are riveted by its intricate space frame truss work. The work evokes the pointed arches and rib vaults of the Oura Catholic Church, Nagasaki’s Roman Catholic Basilica, which is believed to be Japan’s oldest.

There are three layers of pillars. The bottom layer consists of four pillars, each of which branches out to form eight diagonal frames. Made mainly out of lumber, the frames are reinforced with steel rods. Immense glass walls on all four sides of the chapel bring natural light in, and the natural landscape is clearly visible throughout the open floor plan.

The smart bike-sharing Mobike from China offers specially designed bikes equipped with GPS and proprietary smartlock technology.

Another winning project is the smart bike-sharing app, Mobike from China. Using specially designed bikes equipped with GPS and proprietary smart-lock technology, Mobike enables users of its smartphone app to find a bike near them, reserve and unlock it. In the first year of operation, more than five million smart bicycles provided 20 million rides every day in some 150 cities. Mobike users have collectively reduced CO2 emissions by as much as 610,000 tonnes.

The Edible Business Card is made out of a sheet of seaweed to promote Japan’s Saga Prefecture on Kyushu Island. 

Winning in the same category was the “Edible Business Card” project designed by Geometry Global Japan for the Saga Prefecture on Kyushu Island.

In order to reinforce the image of Saga as the national leader of seaweed, making a business card out of a sheet of seaweed was finalised as the ultimate and unique marketing tool. For this daring and unprecedented attempt, the city enlisted the help of engineers who spent two months trying out laser cutting technology on seaweed. Both thinning and cutting were thoroughly explore to create artwork, characters, numbers, and letters of the alphabet for the card’s contents.

The design of Vibram Furoshiki the Wrapping Sole is inspired by the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth for bento boxes.

Another award went to Vibram Furoshiki the Wrapping Sole of Vibram SPA. Drawing inspiration from the eponymous traditional Japanese wrapping cloth used to transport carefully prepared bento boxes, this revolutionary new footwear literally wraps around your feet, enabling the most anatomically tailored fit and support possible.

The design focus was placed on unifying shoes sizes. And with the Italian-designed Eurojersey elastic fabric strips extending out from the dynamically structured Vibram XS City compound, soles are instrumental to ensuring comfort and support.

The DFA Awards also recognised an individual who has made life-long contributions to the design profession, with visionary shaping designs across a variety of fields. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award went to Japanese fashion designer giant Yohji Yamamoto.

Working in the fashion industry for 45 years, Yamamoto is renowned for his avant-garde style and his unique designs have graced international runways since his debut in Tokyo in 1977. He presented his first collection in Paris in 1981. In 2002, he was appointed as the creative director for Y-3. Yamamoto’s dedication to the fashion industry has been recognised the world over, and he has been awarded with Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters, the highest honour in arts and culture in France.

The Design Leadership Award 2017 went to the influential hospitality leader Adrian Zecha while the communication design influencer Alan Chan was honoured with the World’s Outstanding Chinese Designer.

Another 17 awards were given to young Hong Kong talents.

The awards will be presented in ceremonies slated for December 6 and 8 at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre.

For details about the winners of the DFA Awards, go to http://www.DfaAwards.com.

“In Search of Self” will include the eerie image “Mysterious Shell” from 1993.

Psychoanalyst Carl Jung believed that the rocks seen in dreams symbolised the ego. A keen student of psychology, and inspired by a dream, Dow brought rocks to life in his series also titled “In Search of Self”, begun in 1982.

He photographed red rocks emerging from a toilet and a swimming pool, very much alive with intent as they go about their adventures, “their preoccupations known only to themselves”.

“Dow’s ability to create a surreal world rivals his muse Salvador Dali,” says Manit Sriwanichpoom, who runs the gallery and mounted this show.

“In the pre-Photoshop days, his technical expertise was far in advance of his photographic contemporaries. He makes us wonder whether we’re looking at a painting or a photograph.”

Dow graduated from Los Angeles City College in 1978 with an Associate in Arts degree in cinema and photography. His bachelor’s degree in radio and television broadcasting came from California State University.

Returning to Thailand in 1983, he became a successful fashion and advertising photographer. Since 2000 he has increasingly devoted his time to contemporary photography. His work is shown at photography festivals around the world. He was recently elected president of the Royal Photographic Society of Thailand.

The gallery is at 87 Pan Road near the Indian Temple off Silom and open daily except Sunday and Monday from 11am to 6pm.

Find out more at (02) 234 6700 or http://www.KathmanduPhotoBkk.com.

It’s in the Hall of Fame on M Floor until Sunday.

Part of the proceeds will help Siriraj Hospital treat more underprivileged patients.

Becoming a regular event following his first show in 2015, Nagara’s exhibitions of his own two-dimensional creations give art lovers the chance see what else he’s capable of besides the stunning clothing ensembles he’s been designing for more than 30 years.

Nagara paints with synthetic enamel on silver and golden plates, seeking to communicate “on the levels of emotion and imagination”.

Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul opened this year’s show on Tuesday, with Siam Paragon chief executive Chadatip Chutrakul and a crowd of celebrities in attendance.

The clothing brand Nagara is famous for reinventing fashion in its own style. Its collections have been shown not only at Bangkok International Fashion Week but also the major fashion events in Paris, New York, Milan, Tokyo and Hong Kong.

Its creative director’s talent as a painter is meanwhile gaining wider attention. He’s been invited to show his work next year in Florence, Italy.

The play is based on the life of a unique individual who was considered the spiritual mentor of the great Indian apostle of non-violence, Mahatma Gandhi. He is often referred to as the “Mahatma’s Mahatma”, the person responsible for “converting” the fiery barrister Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to the compassionate leader Mahatma Gandhi.

This was Shrimad Rajchandraji, a Jain saint, poet and philosopher, who was in active contact with Mohandas Gandhi, until his death at the youthful age of thirty-one.

“It was from his life that I learnt the way of compassion” said Gandhi.

They kept in active contact and exchanged as many as 200 letters, which are still preserved in Mumbai, and the script of the play developed from these.

Created this year to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Guru, the play won the 2017 Best Play Award in India. Written originally in the Gujarati language, “Yugpurush” has been translated into seven Indian languages as well as English, and performed to rave audiences in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and the US. It is now on a tour of Asia and Australia, which includes two shows in Bangkok.

The show on Saturday, November 18 will be in Hindi, and the show on Sunday, November 19 will be in English. The Bangkok-shows are organised by SRMD Bangkok (Shrimad Ramchandra Mission Dharampur, the organization of the Jain Guru), in association with ITDCA.

In keeping with the play’s themes of love and compassion, the proceeds from the ticket sales of the play will go towards the building of a much-needed hospital, in the tribal town of Dharmapur, in Uttar Pradesh, where the SRMD has a Centre.

For more information, visit http://www.Yugpurush.org. Tickets are priced from Bt500 to Bt5,000 at http://www.TicketMelon.com.

Organised by the Embassy of Ukraine as part of the celebrations marking the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Ukraine and Thailand, the exhibition features some 5,000 of Marchuk’s paintings in 12 creative series.

Considered the living legend of Ukrainian art, Marchuk is the only Ukrainian artist recognised by International Academy of Modern Art in Rome as the member of the “Golden Guild”. In 2007 Britain’s Daily Telegraph included Marchuk in the top 100 geniuses of our time.

During a career spanning more than 50 years, Marchuk has had 200 monographic and collective exhibitions and created thousands of colourful and monochrome works in his original technique “pliontanizm”, a style based on the Ukrainian word “pliontaty” meaning to weave or to wattle.

For more information, visit http://www.Bacc.or.th.

CANCELLED LAST year due to the death of King Rama IX, Bangkok Theatre Festival (BTF), organised by Bangkok Theatre Network (BTN), is back and kicks off this Thursday with more programmes, and many foreign works. Thanks to the strong support of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), there’s also a new section targetting overseas audiences, scholars, producers and presenters.

“BTN has more than 40 member companies and in the recent past we’ve about five foreign productions in every festival,” says Pradit “Tua” Prasartthong, BTF’s founder and BTN’s chairperson.

“BTN is not organising this festival all by itself, but cooperating with Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC), as part of its Performative Arts Festival (PAF), the Alliance of Performing Arts in Higher Education of Thailand (PATH) and the Thailand centre of International Association of Theatre Critics (IATC). In other words, BTF is by artists, scholars, students, critics as well as a multi-disciplinary arts centre.”

The first recipient of Silpathorn Award in performing arts continues, “The fact that BTF is clearly more international this year is based on our strong potential for developing into a major festival in Southeast Asia, one that combines and balances both local and international content in the programming. Also, we have received major support from Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau who also sees BTF’s potential as an international event that’s not only drawing foreign visitors to Bangkok and Thailand but also serving as a platform for regional artists to showcase their works.”

B-Floor’s Teerawat Mulvilai and Anatta’s Duangjai Hirusri in Oriza Hirata’s “Bangkok Notes”, BTF 2017’s curtain raiser

Luckana Kunavichayanont, director of BACC, adds, “This is the sixth time we’re working with BTF, which is like a mid-to-late teenage and attractive girl now. BTF programmes, both traditional and avant-garde ones, have significantly contributed to our PAF. An arts centre would be barren without artists creating and presenting their works here and so I think BTF and BACC’s PAF are supporting each other and BACC hopes that BTF will continue to grow into a mature adult.”

Tua agrees wholeheartedly, saying, “The fact that BACC is organising PAF also strengthens the links between theatre, dance and music as well as to film, visual arts and literature. The fact that BACC’s PAF has combined many existing festivals [instead of starting its own new festivals], like the BTF, the International Dance Festival, the International Butoh Festival Thailand and Asiatopia, under one umbrella is commendable and should be a model for others to follow.”

BTF always has a theme and this year it’s “Sharing Moments”. “Nikorn Sae Tang (BTF 2017’s artistic director and another Silpathorn artist) came up with the theme,” Tua explains. “And he notes that performing arts, theatre included, is different from other |genres of arts as it is being created live in front of the audience. One performance is always different from another, with the same group of actors and yet different audiences. Every year, BTF is a short moment where artists and audiences share our dreams, inspiration, ideas, happiness as well as misery.”

BTF 2017’s artistic director Nikorn Sae Tang on stage in “No Name”

Japan Foundation Bangkok has been a major supporter of BTN and BTF. Their production of “Red Demon”, the Thai translation of Hideki Noda’s “Akaoni”, brought together theatre artists from several groups two decades ago, and that bond led to the subsequent founding of BTN and BTF. With their strong support, Thai theatre artists participated in a workshop by another internationally acclaimed playwright and director Oriza Hirata in 2004. Two years later we watched a Japanese-language production of his most acclaimed play “Tokyo Notes” by Seinendan Theatre; in 2012 his android theatre “Sayonara”, with both Japanese and Thai actors and a humanoid; and just two years ago, “The Metamorphosis (Android Version)”, with Academy Award-nominated French actress Irene Jacob and another humanoid.

Will B-Floor Theatre’s Oranong Thaisriwong get another call from the military junta for her solo performance “Sawan Arcade”?

This year, the international exchange takes a further step up. Hirata, a professor at Tokyo University of the Arts, has been at Chulalongkorn University for the past two monthsteaching a playwriting class and working with 20 Thai actors, both professionals and students though no humanoids, on “Bangkok Notes”, Sawita Diteeyont’s adaptation of “Tokyo Notes”. Among the stellar cast are Anatta Theatre Group’s Duangjai Hirunsri, B-Floor Theatre’s Teerawat Mulvilai and Sao Soong Theatre’s Nut Nualpang, all three of whom were also in “Red Demon”. Also on stage are three recipients of IATC Thailand’s acting kudos, namely Sumontha Suanphol- rat, Varattha Tongyoo and Splashing Theatre’s Thongchai Pimapansri.

Veteran actress Mullika Tungsangob, top centre, leads the cast of Blank Space’s “Crimes of the Heart”.

And in a year when we’re also celebrating the 130th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between Japan and Thailand, the Japanese ambassador to Thailand himself will preside over the opening ceremony of BTF and the premiere of “Bangkok Notes” at Chulalongkorn University’s Sodsai Pantoomkomol Centre for Dramatic Arts this Thursday evening.

Other BTF highlights include Babymime’s new work “The Teacher”; “No Name”, a collaboration between 8X8 Theatre and Babymime; Blank Space’s adaptation of Pulitzer Prize winning drama “Crimes of the Heart”; Wannasak “Kuck” Sirilar’s adaptation of “Man of La Mancha”; Anatta Theatre Group’s lakhon chatri (traditional Thai dance theatre) “Nang Sipsam” and B-Floor Theatre’s “Sawan Arcade”, a solo performance by Ornanong “Golf” Thaisriwong, whose previous work “Bang Lamerd” was closely monitored by the military junta.

Other must-sees include Nophand Boonyai and Full Fat Theatre’s “Sleepwalkers” about which he says, unlike his previous works, “It’s something physical”; and three English-language works by two local companies – Peel the Limelight’s, just back from Melbourne Fringe, “Spoonface Steinberg” and Culture Collective Studio’s “The Picture of Dorian Gray” and “Salome”, both Oscar Wilde masterpieces.

Among the kid-friendly shows is Grandma Puppet’s “The Goal”.

This year’s most prolific company Splashing Theatre has two new works for BTF, namely Thanaphon Accawatanyu’s “Godspeed You! Blue Strawberry” and Thongchai Pimapansri’s directing debut, the physical theatre piece “What I Talk When I Talk about Grinding”.

From November 14 to 18, BTF will introduce a new section called Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting (BIPAM), entirely in English, with paper presentations, discussions, talks and performances, a networking opportunity for artists, scholars, critics and students from many countries. It’s noteworthy that while the performance programmes of BTF are open for all members of BTN, those of BIPAM, called BIPAM Showcase, are curated by a committee of artists, scholars and critics.

And if you have visited BTF’s website and Facebook page recently, you may notice that they’re both bi-lingual now. Also, in the past few months BTN has been collaborating with many partners in organising a range of events that prepare both artists and audiences for BTF.

For example, Octavian Saiu, a member of IATC’s executive committee, stopped by to give a talk on Sibiu International Theatre Festival (SibFest) and discussed its potential relationship with BTF. Japan Foundation Bangkok and Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) supported BTF’s talks and workshops for artists and audiences on such topics as international performing arts festivals, international collaboration, writing of press releases and artist’s profiles, archiving and photography.

And last month at Siam Pic-Ganesha Centre of Performing Arts, high school students met with representatives from performing arts departments of several universities and BTN member companies in the inaugural BTF Expo.

It looks like BTF’s artists, audiences and patrons are more ready than ever before.

Are you ready for BTF 2017?

BOOK YOUR TICKETS NOW

Bangkok Theatre Festival 2017 is from Thursday to November 19 at BACC (BTS: National Stadium station) and many other venues in the city centre.

There are several free-admission programmes. For ticketed ones, book online and find more info, in Thai and English, at http://www.BangkokTheatreFestival.org.

With just two days to go before Thais say a final farewell to their beloved monarch, His Majesty the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, the final preparations for the royal cremation are now in place.

Palace artisans recently presented the expertly hand-carved banana stalks that will decorate the outside of the Royal Pyre – Phra Chittakathan as it is known in Thai – and which also prevent the flames from spreading outwards.

For more than 500 years, since the Ayutthaya era, a temporary crematorium has been constructed in the middle of the city for the funerals of a deceased king or queen and other high-ranking royals. Its function is not just to pay the highest honours to the beloved monarch but also to serve for the cremation itself and so the tradition of vegetable carving on the royal pyre has also been preserved as a final tribute.

Phra Tamnak Suankularb School in Nakhon Pathom province hosted a merit-making ceremony at its building in the Grand Palace last week. Artisans from the court, joined by nearly 40 of their colleagues from Phetchaburi, Ubon Rachathani, Maha Sarakham, Songkhla and Bangkok’s Thon Buri district, started sculpting the trunks. Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn performed the auspicious sacred offering ceremony to appease the natural spirit of all fresh items, the tools as well as artisans and master carvers.

The decoration of the royal pyre for the late King Bhumibol is identical to that used for the cremations of King Rama V, King Rama VI, and King Rama VIII. The Phra Chittakathan features a nine-tiered Busabok made of banana stalks with seven-tiers of decorative fresh flowers at all four corners. It measures 4.80 metres in width, 6.50m in length and stands 13 metres high.

The carving is carried out in the final days in order to reserve freshness. The Royal Household ordered 108 Tanee banana trees (Musa balbisiana colla) from Ang Thong, Chantaburi, Nonthaburi and Phetchaburi provinces and passed them to 323 artists and carvers across the country. Once the carving process is complete, court officers will install the fresh masterpieces at the Royal Pyre tomorrow, one day before the Royal Crematorium.

The sculpted trunks are beautifully designed in traditional Thai motifs. The Tanee banana tree is good for carving as it contains enough water to enable it to stay fresh for days. Traditionally, Thais believe there is a spirit inside the plant. Banana stalks are carved by artists into the form of art known as thaeng yuak.

The traditional patterns of vegetable carving and flower wreath motifs are used for the base and include the bua cherng batra and singha.

The layers they form are used for the thaeng yuak art, the outer edge of which is known as yuak rad klao and features fresh papaya carved into traditional prachamyam patterns. The four corners are decorated with krajang patterns made of banana stalk, while the top parts display 70 pieces of flower quivers called parichat representing the 70 years of the late King’s reign.

The parichat flowers are created from the petals white orchids dyed yellow in 16 floral shapes while the leaves are formed from beetle wings and a vine is created from the leaves of orange jasmine (Murraya paniculata). The 16 floral shapes represent the highest levels of heaven where the God Brahma lives.

The nine-tiered net meanwhile is decorated with crown flowers instead of jasmine and chambak tassels made of orchids dyed yellow and sheathed in wax to maintain their freshness.

The sculpted trunks themselves feature a pattern of traditional Thai motifs with the Thai numeral for nine, in reference to King Rama IX, as the highlight.

Eight celestial bodies in a kneeling position have also been carved and hold double-edged knives in their hands. They are to guard the King and attend upon him as he makes his way to heaven.

That so many of these traditions and art forms remain alive today can be put down to the efforts of Princess Sirindhorn, who has taken pains to preserve the wisdom and knowledge of Wichian Premchan. A master artisan, in 1996 Wichian carved the banana stalks for the Royal Cremation of HRH Princess Sri Nagarindra, the Princess Mother of King Rama IX. The Princess then instructed Wichian, who was aged 70, to impart his knowledge and skill to only four students in the royal craftsman school.

Carver Suan Nudlah, 54, who also worked on the carvings for cremation of late HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, the late sister of King Rama IX and HRH Princess Petcharat Rajsuda, the daughter of King Rama VI, said he felt honoured to have been chosen to help prepare the banana stalks for the cremation of the revered King Bhumibol.

A resident of Songkhla province in Thailand’s south, Suan learned the craft from local artisans but adds that he would not be using his techniques this time. “As the art pieces will be dedicated to the King, I will use the technique determined by the Royal Household,” he says. “The pattern we are using this time is also designed specially by royal designers for King Rama IX.”

Another carver, Wiriya Susuth, 47, from Phetchaburi province, learned his skills from his father as a youngster and has lent his expertise to three royal cremations – that of the Princess Mother, Princess Galyani Vadhana and HRH Princess Petcharat Rajsuda. “I will do my best to perform the job for our beloved King,” he says.

Zhang uses particular lighting and distortions to construct a distinct painting language. As fragments of memory, the scenes are given a freshness, allowing real and surreal painting methods to coexist. The paintings aim to arouse emotion in the viewer, linking the artist’s spiritual world and viewers’ individual memories.

At the age of 22, Zhang left his home in Xinjiang to study, work, and live in Beijing and New York. He travelled around the world, but his work was rooted in Xinjiang.

The gallery is on the third floor of Golden Place Plaza on Bangkok’s Rajdamri Road. It’s opens Tuesday to Saturday, from 11am to 7pm. Call (02) 652 2732 or visit http://www.TangContemporary.com.