Represented artist

Phaptawan Suwannakudt

Born Thailand 1959, works Sydney, Bangkok
An artist working with traditional Thai mural painting, public projects, and individual paintings series


Education

2006

Master of Visual Arts, Sydney College of the Arts, University of Sydney

1980

B.A. in Languages [English major, German minor, Silpakorn University, Nakhon Pathom

1977

Graduated from Suksanaree High School, Bangkok

Professional Background

Freelance artist in traditional style and mural painting

Teaching Experience

12 years as Special Instructor, Thai mural painting unit, Painting Section, SUPPORT Foundation. (The Foundation for Supplementary Occupations and Techniques, Office of Her Majesty's Private Secretary, Chitralada Palace, Bangkok, April 1984 - February 1996)

Working Experience

1984-96

organized and led the Tan Kudt Group of painters for temple and hotel murals

1981

E.S.L. teacher for Indo-Chinese refugees, Pragmatics Company Ltd., a UNHCR Project

1970-81

Twelve years'painting apprenticeship to my father, the late artist in Thai style, Paiboon Suwannakudt, or Tan Kudt

Awards

2005

Gunnery Studio residency, NSW Ministry for the Arts

2001

Australia Council Studio Grant for new work by an established artist

Artist in Residence

2008

The Womanifesto international collaborative Program at Rai Boonbandarn, North East Thailand.

2003

Bundanon Trust, residential Studio Grant, January

Temple Murals and other Buddhist Works

I usually did the designs for and supervised the painting by a team of from six to ten artists.

1999

A Buddhist Series of Tree and Flower Allegories painted during visits to Thailand and China.

1998-99

Commission from the Zen Centre, Annandale for its Gorricks' Run meditation temple, funded by the Australia Council, for an altar painting of the Buddha in meditation.

1998

August, brief visit to Thailand to complete designs for a Mahayana Temple in Nakhon Pathom, and commence designs for a specially commissioned temple scheme by Bangkok Airways at a temple on Samui Island.

1997-1988

Lives of the Buddha Screen entirely executed and completed in Sydney. The work is 1.8 x 4.32 meters overall, on the narrative theme of Buddha's previous lives and the life of the historical Buddha.

1997

Designs for exterior gables and pediment of Buddha image at Wat Phuttharangsee, Annandale,Sydney

1996

Phutthamonthol Buddhist Center, near Bangkok [1,200 sq. m., basic designs for 86 panels of 1.8 x 8 meters, Supervisor of five teams each of seven-eight artists, about thirty-five artists overall]

1994-1995

Wat Sri Dongklang, Khon Kaen [100 sq.m.]

1994

Wat Saket, Samui, Surat Thani [complete ubosot, 200 sq.m]
Completed the unfinished work of Acharn Angkarn Kalayanapon at Wat Sri Khom Kham, Phayao [figures in upper panels and Tree of Life in reredos behind main icon]

Wat Tha Suthawat, Angthong [complete ubosot, 200 sq.m.] for the Royal Support Foundation, these murals were featured on a special set of Thai postage stamps in 1999

1992-1993

Wat Jaksa Phattaram, Uthai Thani [complete ubosot, 160 sq.m.]

1992

Wat Theppol, Bangkok [mondop, 12 sq.m.]

1991

Wat Ban Chang, Chonburi [complete ubosot, 140 sq.m.]

1990

Wat Sri Kom Kham, Phayao, own work on the lower narrative panels only, 220 sq.m.], graciously opened by H.R.H. Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn in January 1993

Hotel & Office Murals

1996

Mural in residence of District Chief Officer, Tak province

Murals in Wimanthip Room, Montien Riverside Hotel, Bangkok

Murals for The Century Hotel, Bangkok

1995

Room murals for Laguna Banyan Tree Resort, Phuket

Murals in Bangkok Airways office at Bangkok Airport

Murals in Ballroom, Montien Riverside Hotel, Bangkok

1994

Murals for Dining Room lobby, Thai Embassy, Paris

1993-94

Murals for Function Room, The Regent of Bangkok, Hotel

Lobby and other murals for Laguna Banyan Tree Resort, Phuket

1991-1993

Murals for President's Office, Bangkok Airways

1991-1992

Lobby mural for the Royal Garden Hotel, Bangkok, 11 x 1.35 meters, on Thai silk

1990

Mural for Thai Airways Office, Paris

1989

Leader of the group painting Sawan / Heaven mural for the Ballroom of The Regent of Bangkok Hotel

Leader of the group painting the Koh Kaew Pisadahl / Magical Crystal mural at the Conference Room in Cape Panwa Hotel, Phuket

1985

Leader of the group painting Muang Thong / The Golden City mural at the Coffee Shop, Silom Plaza Hotel, Bangkok

Solo Exhibition

2010

May-July, Catching the Moment: Each Step is the Past, 4A Centre for Contemporary Asian Art, Sydney

2009

August, Three Worlds, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne

2007

February, The Journey of an Elephant: The Ongoing Journey, Arc One Gallery, Melbourne

2004

March, The Elephant and the Bush, Arc one Gallery, Melbourne
January, Recent Works Numthong Gallery, Bangkok

2002

July, Turtles, a Fish, and Ghosts…, Gallery 4A, Sydney

June, Karma Women Buddha, Span Gallery, Melbourne

2000

November, Buddhist Lives Tadu Gallery, Bangkok

1999

July/August, New Works, Sherman Galleries, Hargrave Street, Sydney

Selected Group Exhibition

2012

18th Sydney Beinnale, Sydney, Australia

2011

March, Women Artists Exhibition 100th year of International Women's Day, The National Gallery of Thailand 

January-April, Edge of Elsewhere, as part of Sydney Festival 2011, Campbelltown Arts Centre, NSW

2010

November-December, Redlands Westpac Art Prize, Mosman Gallery, Sydney

2010 September-October, Blacktown City Art Exhibition 2010, Blacktown Art Centre, NSW

2010 September-October, Text as Spiritual Imagery, McGlade Gallery, Australian Catholic University, Sydney

2010 April-May, Ephemeral but Eternal Words: Trace of Asia, The Research School of Humanities and the Arts and ANU School of Art Gallery, ANU 

2010 March-May, Second Language, 24HR ART Northern Territory Centre for Contemporary Art, Darwin

2009

October-November, Broadsheet Notations: Epilogue, Tang Contemporary Art

2007

December, Smile of the Buddha : Image of Enlightenment, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra

March-April, Heading North, Maroondah Gallery, Melbourne, curate by Damian Smith

2006

October-November, Fletcher Jones Art Prize Exhibition, Geelong Gallery, Victoria

June-July, Utopia Limited : Inhabiting Sydney, curate by Jo Holder, The Cross Art Projects, Sydney

2005-2006

Open Letter touring exhibition, April -Gallery 4A, Sydney, August -National Gallery of Thailand, October -The Metropolitan Museum of Manila, February 2006 -The National Gallery of Malaysia

2003

October-November, Abstractions, Drill Hall Gallery, Australian National University, Canberra

2000

July-September, El Poder de Narrar [The Power of Narration, with nine artists from eight countries, catalogue texts by Kevin Power, Patrick Flores and Trinh Minh Ha], Espai d'art Cntemporani de Castelló, Valenciana, Spain

February, Gang of Four, Robert Lindsay Gallery, Melbourne

1999

November, Gang of Four [with Simryn Gill, Lindy Lee, Savandhary Vongphutorn] Roslyn Oxley Gallery, Sydney

1998

March, Women imaging women: home, body, memory, [Artists from Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam], Cultural Center of the Philippines, Manila

1997

March, co-organizer and exhibitor at Womanifesto Exhibition of work by Thai and Overseas Women artists at Concrete House, Nonthaburi and at Baan Chaopraya, Bangkok

1995

March, Tan Kudt Group at Place of Art, Bangkok March, Tradisexion: Five Thai Women Artists at Concrete House, Nonthaburi

1994

October, Invited Artists Exhibition of Tadsawat group, Place of Art, Bangkok

1992

November, Art Exhibition by Eighty Artists, The Montien Hotel, Bangkok 
October, Art Exhibition by Thai Women Artists, Siam City Hotel, Bangkok

March, Art Exhibition by Thai Women Artists, Contempus Gallery, Queen Sirikit Convention Center, Bangkok

1991

November, Thai Contemporary Art Exhibition, Artists to Heart for Emergency Home, The Hilton Hotel, Bangkok

1990

April, Thai Contemporary Art Exhibition, Thai Commercial Bank, Bangkok

1989

March, organized the Thai Contemporary Artists Exhibition with Tan Kudt Group and invited artists in Paris

1988

August, Fourth Exhibition of Tan Kudt Group at the Thai Cultural Fair, Keio, Co. Ltd., Tokyo

July, Co-operating Advisor for Student Exhibition from painting section, SUPPORT Foundation, The Dusit Thani Hotel, Bangkok

1987

December, Third Exhibition of Tan Kudt Group at Tsa-ho Gallerie Internationale, St.Pierre, Île de La Réunion.

1986

October, Second Exhibition of Tan Kudt Group in co-operation with student work from SUPPORT Foundation graciously presided over by H.R.H. Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn at The Regent of Bangkok Hotel.

1984

March, First Exhibition of Tan Kudt Group, graciously presided over by H.R.H. Princess Mahachakri Sirindhorn and H.R.H. Princess Chulabhorn at The Montien Hotel, Bangkok