Kanaid Silsat
Biography
Kanaid Silsat studied at Burirum Teachers' College in Thailand in the 1970s and gained his Masters in Education at the University of Baroda in 1983. He only started developing his own artistic practice when he was a teacher in the 70s. After teaching and creating art for more than 30 years, he obtained his PhD in Ancient and Asian Studies at Magadh University, India, in 2009 which spurred his creative inspiration. He is now an Assistant Professor of the Arts at Khon Kaen University in his home nation of Thailand.
From 1991 to 2021, he had 9 solo exhibitions held across Thailand, Myanmar, Australia and New Guinea; and from 1976 to 2022 he participated in 57 group exhibitions held across Southeast Asia, India, China, Japan, Australia, France and Italy. From 1977 to 80, he was awarded prizes 4 times for his artwork.
Since the mid 1990s, Silsat has also been awarded artist residencies in Australia several times and was invited to be a visiting artist/lecturer at the Canberra School of Art, as well as participating in residencies in New Guinea, India and China. His artwork has been collected by Khon Kaen University in Thailand, Deakin University and Canberra School of Art in Australia, the Department of Asian Studies at Australian National University, as well as by numerous private collectors in America, Australia, France, New Guinea, China and Thailand.
Artwork Description
Silsat's artistic practice is concerned with the essential value systems that lie at the core of his culture. He is concerned with preserving cultural traditions facing the influence and challenges of global culture nowadays. He borrows from memory the traditions and cultural symbols and re-interprets them by using contemporary techniques. For the same piece of painting, he will even make multiple pieces to experience different colours or combination of colours. His series of paintings made with inspiration from the Songkarn Festival at Isan(northeastern region of Thailand) are the most noticeable among Silsat’s artworks. These series were made with mix media (sequins, beads, gold threads, gauze pieces, oil paint) on canvas. The figures and the materials used are clear representations of traditional Thailand, which are mixed with a modern way of art making in vibrant colours of red-and-green. According to Silsat, his inspiration was from the “sand pagoda and [my wish] to represent for the lord Buddha at Isan festival which held every year from 13-15 April in northeast Thailand…sand pagoda for Buddha will be built in the belief that this will give them happiness in both present and next lives…, the elephant represents national animal of Thailand, as well as my name in Hindi that means Ganesha that means god of art.”
Within the period of the pandemic, Silsat did 2 series of artwork in 2021 expressing his love and care for his people who were suffering and looking for medicine. His inspirations came from the image of pills and traditional colour of Thai herbs for curing sickness. One of the series is in blue to show his internal feeling.
個人簡介
Silsat 於70年代畢業於泰國Burirum師範學院，並於1983年於Baroda大學取得教育碩士學位。除了教學，他自70年代已開始藝術創作。在超過30年的教學及藝術創作後，於2009年他於印度的Magadh University 取得博士學位(古代亞州學)，肯定豐富了他的創作。現在他是泰國孔敬府(Khon Kaen)大學藝術系的助理教授。
由1991至2021年，Silsat於泰國、緬甸、新幾內亞及澳洲一共舉辦了9場個人展覽；而由1976至2022年，他共參與了57場集體展覽，展出國家包括泰國、中國、印度、越南、緬甸、老撾、馬來西亞、日本、澳洲、法國及意大利。1977至1980年間，他的作品共獲得4次藝術獎項。
自90年代起，他亦多次獲得海外藝術居留獎項，其中數次於澳洲的坎培拉藝術學院作為探訪藝術家或講師，其餘居留國家為新幾內亞、印度及中國。Silsat的作品已被泰國孔敬府(Khon Kaen)大學、澳洲Deakin大學、坎培拉藝術學院，澳洲國立大學亞洲研究部收藏，也有來自美國、澳洲、法國、新幾內亞、中國及泰國的私人收藏家。
作品描述
Silsat 的作品關注的是自身文化核心中最重要的價值觀。面對現今全球化的影響及挑戰，他着重保留傳統文化。他借用記憶中的傳統及文化象徵，以當代藝術手法在其作品中再次演擇。對着同一張作品，他甚至會重覆嘗試不同的顏色或顏色組合。Silsat 作品中最受注目的，是靈感來自伊善(Isan, 泰國東北部)潑水節的一系列作品，以混合物料(亮片、珠、金線、紗布、油彩)呈現於畫布上，當中的圖象和物料都代表傳統泰國，卻混合着現代藝術創作手法，表現出生動的紅和綠色彩。根據Silsat 自己所說，他的靈感是來自: ”沙造寶塔與及[我渴望]展現每年一度於4月13-15日於泰國東北伊善舉行的潑水節中的主人佛陀...... 為佛陀建造沙寶塔是因為相信這樣會為今生和來世帶來幸福...... ，我作品中的大象代表泰國，亦是我的印度名字Ganesha(象神甘尼許)，也代表藝術之神”。
疫情肆虐期間，Silsat 於2021年創作了兩個作品系列，表達他對當時國民處身水深火熱中尋找藥物治療的關愛，他的靈感來自藥丸的形狀，與及泰國的一種治愈性草藥色調。其中一糸列以藍色來表示他的心情。