Special attention is given in the early chapters to King Chulalongkorn, whose patronage played a major role in disseminating Western art in Bangkok, and to the Italian art teacher, Silpa Bhirasri, a pivotal figure in the institutional development of modern art in Thailand in the 1930s and 1940s.

This volume provides an overview of Thailand's rich artistic variety. Art found in Thailand (previously named Siam) stretches over more than two millennia. Of great importance and of special interest is a long and intimate relationship between Thailand and India of cultures and artistic traditions, Buddhist and Hindu. The book spans the fourth-nineteenth centuries, from the earliest Indian-related art up until the modern Bangkok period. Though widely studied, the art history of Thailand today is highly contentious and revisionist, and the articles here present recent research and opinions. The study of art from Thailand has progressed rapidly in the last decades. Scholars have new things to say, new theories, new dating, new ideas regarding artistic relationships and influences. This volume is timely as it presents writers who are involved in this rethinking. They include senior scholars and promising young academics.

A seminal publication focusing on the modern art of Japan, China, India, Thailand, and Indonesia. A significant and challenging contribution to the discussion of the advent of modernism in Asia.

This anthology explores artistic practices and works from a diverse and vibrant region. Scholars, critics, and curators offer their perspectives on Southeast Asian art and artists, aiming not to define the field but to Illuminate its changing nature and Its Interactions with creative endeavors and histories originating elsewhere. These essays examine a range of new and modern work, from sculptures that Invoke post-conflict trauma In Cambodia to Thai art Installations that Invite audience participation and thereby challenge traditional definitions of the "art obJect." In this way, the authors not only provide a lively stUdy of regional art, but challenge and expand broad debates about international and transnational art.

Thai national artist Thawan Duchanee has spent his life creating art that deeply reflects Buddhist philosophy. He is internationally renowned, and his art is masterful both for its intricacy and for its subtle portrayal of Buddhism. Thawan expresses Buddhist wisdom with incredible versatility. His artworks depict the dangers of doubt, lust, fear, and lack of concentration, expose humankind’s pursuit of pleasure and escape from pain, and illustrate virtues exemplified in the previous lives of the Buddha. Using over one hundred images, the book succinctly examines these themes, often hidden deep within the art itself, and guides the reader through some of Thawan’s most interesting works. This is the first book to combine a focus on these works with an exploration of Thawan’s outstanding architectural and decorative achievements in Chiang Rai and Germany. Often told in his own words, this book offers insights into Thawan’s creative genius, explores his philosophy on the arts, examines his famous signature, and recounts his life story. It is fascinating reading for all those interested in Thai art and Buddhism. What others are saying “Larger-than-life Thai artist Thawan Duchanee is one of the foremost representatives of Thai and Asian art. His penchant for traditional Asian motifs and styles and his flamboyant personality have earned him popularity and renown as one of the leading lights of the international art scene.”—The Nation Highlights - The first book to examine Buddhist content in Thawan’s artworks - Features over one hundred illustrations - Explores Buddhist philosophy in relation to Thai modern art - Includes a biography of Thawan’s life - Compact overview of Thawan’s most well-loved and interesting work

Essential Desires: Contemporary Art in Thailand is the first major, fully illustrated survey of Thai art in thirty years. Brian Curtin shows how Thai artists negotiated their emergence on the global art stage while dealing with pan-Asian regionalism and nationalism at home. This book traces the influences on contemporary Thai artists, from the impact of consumerism in Bangkok in the 1990s to the waning legacies of tradition, and their relationship to the nation's often-volatile political stage. Curtin, in his exploration of Thailand's fascinating art scene, shows how Thai artists are generating new ideas about their country.

A constellation of thoughts by 25 established and emerging scholars who plot the indices of modernity and locate new coordinates within the shifting landscape of art. These newly commissioned essays are accompanied by close to 200 full-colour image plates.