Kornpat Kotchabhakdi used to be an atheist who refused to go to a temple with his parents who are Buddhists. When he became a lifestyle editor of a magazine, he became frustrated due to personal and work issues. To reduce pressure, he tried meditation and to do so properly, Kornpat sought advice from monks who led him to take an interest in amulets and Buddhism.
Kornpat is currently an artist and his solo exhibition titled "Shade of Faith" is on display at VS Gallery. Kornpat explained that the exhibition's title is about faith because he used to question belief in religion.
"There are many levels of belief and faith. Since people's thoughts are complicated, 'Shade of Faith' is like a spectrum with many layers. I didn't believe in religion until I started meditation and that led me to praying, so I could focus more. After I began to believe in Buddhism, I discovered a book written by Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychologist," said Kornpat.
"Jung writes about the 'collective unconscious' which is a concept that describes a shared pool of knowledge that all humans have. It does not matter where you were born and what nationality you are, you will have 'collective unconscious'. It is a universal idea in our memories that come before any religion such as the mother archetype or the hero archetype."
The painting, Untitled 1, depicts Anon which is a gigantic fish that helps balance the stability of the Earth in Thai myth. In the painting, Kornpat connected the idea of Anon with the theory On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres by Nicolaus Copernicus.
"Copernicus' theory states that the Earth isn't the centre of the universe. In contrast, the theory of Anon states that the Earth is the centre of the universe. When people decide to believe in something, they should consider it from many perspectives such as religion, mythology and science, before they commit themselves to that belief," said Kornpat.
Untitled 1.
"Before believing in the sacredness of amulets, I searched for information from many perspectives. I eventually came to the conclusion that although amulets come in different prices, their sacredness is the same. I wear an amulet to be mindful and to make me feel safe."
In order to present many perspectives, some paintings in the exhibition are composed of multiple images in one painting. For example, Shade Of Faith is composed of three images to reflect belief in the past and present.
The first image is a forest of Sal Trees which relate to Lord Buddha's birth, enlightenment and death. The second image depicts lotus leaves supporting the first seven steps of Lord Buddha after he was born. The final image displays Sal pink flowers. Next to the flower image, there is scientific information about the Sal Tree.
Know consists of three images to portray beliefs about the sun.
"In the past, when people painted images of the sun, they usually included peacocks and/or angels to accompany the sun since it was considered as a deity. However, later, scientists discovered that the Earth is not the centre of the universe and that the sun is actually a star which provides light giving life. Images in Know do not depict past and present separately, but they communicate the concept of the sun to viewers,' explained Kornpat.
Although Kornpat realised that he had passion for painting since he was young, he was not sure if he could make a living from it. He pursued his Master's in graphic design at the London College of Communication and worked as a lifestyle editor and then, an assistant editor-in-chief at a magazine. He later became an assistant manager at Mae Fah Luang Foundaton under Royal Patronage where he dedicated his free time to painting.
From left, Elysium, Untitled 1 and Light And Shadow.
As a self-taught artist, Kornpat tried to improve his skills by participating in artist in residence programmes in many countries. He spent five weeks in Spain, four weeks in Germany and will be travelling to Sri Lanka to work with the Thai Embassy in March.
"In Spain, I conducted research about beliefs and exchanged ideas with other international artists. I discovered that although some people do not believe in religion, they still believe in good and evil or mother nature which is 'collective conscious'. "
"I sketched the painting Becoming Whole, which depicts two white deer in a forest of Sal Trees in Spain. The painting was inspired by an amulet which featured a Buddha statue with two deer lying by the statue's pedestal. I was wondering what the deer symbolised and found out that they symbolise the forest where Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. When I showed this sketch to international artists, they guessed that the painting probably is related to a belief or a religion because it emitted a reverent vibe," said Kornpat.
"Additionally, Becoming Whole connects with the concept written by Carl Gustav Jung who said 'Who looks outside, dreams; who looks inside, awakes'. Jung told us that if we want to discover our own universe or achieve enlightenment, we should meditate."
In Germany, Kornpat stayed four weeks in the town Idar-Oberstein, which has a gemstone mine.
"I conducted research about stones and minerals and learned about a belief regarding megalithic stones. In the past, people believed that there are spiritual guardians in those stones. I developed paintings and held an exhibition in Germany; I was thrilled that I could sell two paintings to local people."
Shade Of Faith.
Kornpat's paintings have characteristics of mural art in temples, but his style is more modern making use of complementary colours. Kornpat aims to create visuals with universal language, so that international viewers can relate to his paintings.
He hopes that the collectors who purchase his paintings will understand their significance.
"If someone purchases my painting, I hope the painting will be with someone who understands its value, not only just its beauty. I hope collectors buy a painting because it speaks to them and makes them feel that they want to have it. I want my paintings to be sold, but I want it to be with the right person. When I sold paintings in Germany, the collectors understood the concept and they felt that the paintings spoke to them."
"Shade of Faith" runs at VS Gallery, Naradhiwas Rachanakarin 22, until March 30. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/VSGalleryBangkok.
Know.
Becoming Whole.
From left, Shade Of Faith, Round Of Existence and Know.
