Jirapat is an award-winning Thai artist whose work pivots on the cultural relations between Thailand and the West.

 

Born in 1971 in Samut Prakarn province, south of Bangkok, Thailand, he completed his Bachelor’s degree at Chiang Mai University in 1996 with his BA thesis painting Foreign Intervention (1996), which was awarded the Grand Prize of Panasonic Contemporary Art in the 3rd Panasonic Contemporary Painting Exhibition in 1997.

 

In 1999, he acquired a Master’s degree at Silapakorn University; his MA thesis painting Green Goblin vs Maiyarap (2004) was also awarded the Grand Prize of Panasonic Contemporary Art in the 4th Panasonic Contemporary Painting Exhibition in 2002. Other awards include the Special Award in the 9th Toshiba Thailand Contemporary Art competition in 1997; Grand Prize in the 13th Toshiba Thailand’s Contemporary Art competition in 2001 and Special Prize in the 14th Toshiba Thailand’s Contemporary Art competition in 2002.

 

Jirapat Tatsanasomboon is well known as an artist who uses iconography from the traditional Thai narrative Ramakien (derived from the Indian Ramayana) and juxtaposes it with Western icons to how East-vs-West and Modern-vs-Traditional interactions.

 

In the past, he often inserted readily identifiable Thai iconography as a commentary on Thai society and re-interpreted the celebrated master paintings. His heroes have been depicted in a distinctive Thai setting and are often seen interacting with traditional Thai heroes and mythical figures.

 

In the new series, the artist has become more political than ever; he reinterprets the story of Nonthok of the Thai national epic Ramakien and brings such issues as class, integrity and abuse of power to the forefront.

 

Jirapat has participated in several international art shows including Asia Art Now at the Korean Cultural and Arts Foundation, Seoul, Korea (2003); Tradition and Modernity in South East Asian Art at Galerie l’Indochine, New York, USA (2006); Art Singapore 2008, Singapore (2008), Visions of East Asia 2008 at the Capital Library, Beijing, for the Olympics, China (2008); At The Indian Art Summit, New Delhi, India (2009), Art Monaco,Monaco (2010), Arteclasica 10, Buenos Aires, Argentina (2010). Bahrain (2014) SEMANGAT X exhibition in Petronas Gallery, KL Malaysia (2016), Art Central Hong Kong 2019, Art Fair Philippines 2019

 

Many works of art exhibitions in both And foreign countries such as The 46th National Art Exhibition, National Gallery, Bangkok (2000); ASEAN Art Awards Exhibition, Bangkok (2003); Love and Struggle together with Sudjai Chaiyapan at Thavibu Gallery, Bangkok (2004); A Transformation of Icons (solo show) at Thavibu Gallery, Bangkok (2006), Love and Lust (solo show) at Thavibu Gallery, Bangkok (2008), Man Heroes Myths & Gods at Mulan Gallery, Singapore (2009), Camouflage (solo show) at Thavibu Gallery, Bangkok (2010), Controversy (solo sho) at Art Front Gallery, Singapore (2011), The Desires of Nonthok (solo show) at Thavibu Gallery, Bangkok (2013), Disparity (solo show) at Thavibu Gallery, Bangkok (2015), and Illusions of Liberty (solo show) at Yenakart Villa Art Gallery, Bangkok (2017) Art Ratation Series Vol.4, 137 Pillars Suites and Residences Bangkok (2019) Compassion in Adversity (solo show) at La Lanta Fine Art, Bangkok (2020)

 

Jirapat was also a finalist in the 2010 Sovereign Asian Art Prize competition, Hong Kong. Jirapat's paintings were on display at the ArtScience Museum in Singapore in 2012 in the exhibition Andy Warhol : 15 Minutes Eternal. Jirapat Tatsanasomboon is the only Thai artist who is featured in the new Thames & Hudson book : 100 Painters of Tomorrow, and the book can be purchased from Amazon.

 

Thus, he has been vetted by international curators as one of the most promising artists of his generation. He sells regularly at international auctions and is collected worldwide