Samran Thongprik

“Hi, my name is Samran Thongprik; I’m an artist who has been working in art for 17 years. I was born in Nakhon Si Thammarat Province (one of the southern provinces of Thailand). I studied at the College of Fine Arts in Bangkok, and finished my bachelors degree at the Faculty of Fine Arts from Chiang Mai University.

“After finishing my bachelors degree, I’ve been working in painting, printmaking, and sculpture and sending my pieces to some small gallery shops in Chiang Mai. I have never left Chiang Mai since. I have an exhibition almost every year, and it’s my primary income each year. My art life is not that easy; some years, I didn’t have any art to exhibit because I got stuck with my ideas and could not create any art.

“My inspiration comes from what I’ve read, my environment, and my experiences. If youve been doing this constantly for long enough, you can see everything as art. I like to mix my philosophy of life, way of life, and science into the concept of my arts.

“My obstacle has always been marketing; I didn’t have enough strength to present my works in the past. But I tried to cross that obstacle just a couple of years ago at a large art museum in Chiang Mai. I started observing the owner and tried to talk to him. I waited about three days; then I got a chance to meet him. I told my stories and showed my work, and he liked it. He gave me offers to create great art pieces, and then he and other collectors came to select artworks at the house. That was an excellent opportunity for my career, and it made my family‘s life better.

“Now I have three children; they are living a good life with my parents and my wife, who is also an artist. So I dream about making my house better, and building a good workshop to present my work and give some students experience and skills. I am still finding a way to sell my arts and follow a simple life path. I hope you appreciate my art, and care for each other and for peace.