PHOTO: PURIN CHAWARATTANAWONG
(For Thai, press here)
WHO
Buddhaandz
WHAT
A modern art studio inspired by Buddhist mythologies, expressed using various combinations of old and new techniques to cultivate an appreciation in both art and Buddhism.
WHEN
It started with a senior project while I was studying Material and Context base at the Faculty of Architec-ture’s Department of Industrial Design, Chulalongkorn University. The project I did was a continuation of my experimentation on materiality with the help of Assitant Professor Dr. Takerng Pattanopas, Assistant Professor Pim Sudhikam and Assitant Professor Dr. Juthamas Tangsantikul. The work was first shared on my personal social media account and the feedback was quite good so I decided to carry on with the de-velopment.
WHERE
I work at home and at temples at times (when I want to focus on my thoughts) and there may be exhibitions happening in the future.
WHY
Buddhism has always been an integral part of my subconscious since I was young. It has always been a part of the environment I grew up in. I was lucky enough to be able to go to a Sunday Buddhist school when I was a kid. My friends would talk about Conan the Japanese comic and I would picture images of a Chadok tale from the Bhuddha’s teaching, Conandhawisan, in my head.
Then I started to watch a lot YouTube videos and felt inspired by many content creators so I would read the books they recommended and apply what I read to my work. My dad is an avid amulet collector but I wasn’t all that into the conventional stuff. I like art toys. So, the idea of mixing that with Buddhism sort of gives birth to this work that I’m doing.
How would you define creativity?
It’s an application of existing objects and know-how into the development of something useful. It’s some-thing that allows me to practice and learn. At the same time, the creative process helps me meditate and prepare myself to handle changes because once the production process takes place, the reality will be dif-ferent from what you envision in your head. The important thing you can do is to control your emotions at all times because it affects how your work turns out.
Describe your practice in three words?
Dharma l pop culture l ancient processes (it’s like how there’s a specific type of ice cream made with this so-called traditional process but nobody really knows for sure what ‘traditional’ really is).
Where do you go? or what do you do when you get stuck on a project?
When I’m stuck with my thoughts, I would go do something entirely different from the work I was doing. If I want to keep my creative flow, I have to go take a walk outside and take time to observe my surroundings. Listening to hip-hop music helps tremendously with my creative process. Going to temples to make merits also helps me creatively. If I’m too lazy to walk, I would read. I read poetry sometimes. Ideas usually come when I let my mind wander and I would write them down. When there’s a project that comes along, I would match it with one of those ideas.
What project are you most proud of?
The Still Buddha and Cloud Robe. It was magical when I found this part of the Buddha sculpture and it was like I saw this vision of this wave and that I was supposed to create it into a sculpture, and several other works that would follow.
If you could invite any creative out for coffee, who would you choose and why?
Daniel Arsham. I was such a huge fan of him since he wasn’t that very well known but his works have in-spired me so much whether it the actual making process, the thought process, how cool and expensive they are. I was in the Netherlands and saw his works being exhibited with Banksy. Being there and seeing the real thing with my own eyes, I was super impressed. With that work, he played with time and historical objects, and how the present is the past of the future. He signed his signature and dated it a thousand years from now. For example, if it was the year 2022, he would sign 3022. There are actually many crea-tive individuals that I would love to have a drink with because there is so much more for me to learn.
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