One day in August, the month of National Mother's Day, Chusit Wijarnjoragij was given one of the most challenging tasks in his life: to be the key visual artist for the 2018 Miss Universe pageant taking place in Thailand. He started working right away, his brain and hands moved fast, putting flowers and stars on paper while the main theme music of the contest was played in his home studio.
Chusit Wijarnjoragij’s portrait of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit. Photo courtesy of Chusit Wijarnjoragij
His studio was already full of portraits of the royal family that he painted himself, especially those of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, whom he deeply loves and respects.
"I designed seven emblems for use as key visual art for this year's Miss Universe pageant. The six floral patterns are for celebrating the 66th birthday of His Majesty the King while the peacock crown emblem is in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. It is inspired by the peacock, the queen of birds which is also the symbol of Thai silk certified by the Queen's Support Foundation," Chusit remarked.
The Miss Universe pageant has already kicked off, with the 95 contestants checking in at the Dusit Thani hotel last Friday. A gala dinner will be held on Wednesday, along with a "Thai Night", the first showcase of pomp and elegance. A national costume parade will take place at Nong Nuch Park on Dec 10, and the finalists will go to Impact Arena on Dec 17, at 7am, for the final round and the crowning of the new beauty queen. Chusit's design of motifs, patterns and embellishments will be visible throughout all these events.
"I combined my personal inspirations to try to represent Thainess and Thai beauty by using the curves and lines of flowers," said the 45-year-old artist. "Flowers stand for women and beauty. My inspirations are not limited to flowers and stars but also star motifs on temple ceilings according to ancient beliefs. However, I created all-new patterns using the outlines and forms of flowers."
The concept behind the design is to mix the legends of six flowers related to Queen Sirikit and the star constellation. Of the selected six types of flowers, four were named in honour of the queen. They are Dona Queen Sirikit (Mussaenda philippica "Queen Sirikit"), Mahaphrom Rachini (Mitrephora sirikitiae), Mok Rachini (Wrightia sirikitiae) and Queen Sirikit Water Lily (Nymphaea Queen Sirikit). Another one is a wild flower that the Queen gave the name "Sarassa Chandhorn" (Burmannia coelestis D. Don). The last but most important is the daffodil, or dararat in Thai, literally meaning "the star of precious gems". This flower also has been symbolised as the "Flower Of Remembrance" because it was often presented by the King Bhumibol Adulyadej to Queen Sirikit when she was his fiancée several decades ago.
The six modernised emblems of flowers and stars as well as the peacock crown symbol will be infused with traditional Thai patterns. It will be used for all activities of the 2018 Miss Universe pageant in Thailand, but not intended to replace the official Miss Universe logo.
"During research, I tried to find flowers that have outlines and details that can be turned into delicate Thai motifs and also contain good meanings," Chusit said.
Chusit said he studied photos of flowers and watched video clips of previous Miss Universe editions -- in addition to his own inspiration -- in order to come up with a design that expresses both Thai and international elements.
He sketched each drawing by starting from the outline of floral petals and gradually going into details. He first used a pencil and then sepia ink on paper before turning the design into digital form.
Chusit did a lot of sketches and drew more than six kinds of flowers, not just those related to Queen Sirikit. But the sketches of flowers associated with the Queen's name turned out to be the finest.
After that, he presented the sketches and the digital version to more than 10 executives of the Thai organiser TPN 2018, the production team and several Thai designers for the pageant for consideration and voting. The entire process took almost two months.
"Every one of my motifs are unique, classic and contemporary. The work represents Thainess in the international arena," Chusit said.
Chusit is well-known for his portrait paintings and figurative art that use old masters' techniques. He has a passion for ancient civilisation and the arts. As he majored in painting and minored in Thai art at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University, his style is a fine combination of traditional Thai and Western art.
His idols are National Artist Chakrabhand Posayakrit, famed for his traditional art style, and the late National Artist Thawan Duchanee, who explored Buddhism in the surrealist mode.
In the early years of his career, he renowned for his realistic classical style that focused on the beauty of women in Thai literature and mythology. He was highly influenced by Chakrabhand who later taught him how to paint portraits, royal decorations, attire and jewellery.
Chusit also applies an ancient European painting technique from the 14th century, similar to the style of Leonardo Da Vinci. As a sophomore at Silpakorn University, he learned from a visiting German professor the technique of egg tempera paint. His first oil painting in the old European style depicts a woman from Thai mythology.
In 1997, he obtained a bachelor's degree in fine arts with honours from Silpakorn University. In 2005, he was named an Artist Member of the California Art Club, in the United States. Two years later, he went to the US to study English to prepare for art school and attended workshops at several ateliers before winning First Prize at the American Artist Magazine 70th Anniversary Art Competition.
Chusit was suggested by Thawan to further his studies by emphasising the style of Dutch painter Rembrandt. He later won the Leslie T. Posey Foundation Scholarship and was accepted to study for a Master of Fine Arts at New York Academy of Art in 2012.
Artist Chusit Wijarnjoragij with his artwork for the 2018 Miss Universe pageant.
In 2013, he was chosen as one of seven artists for the Demonstration-Painting from the Past exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. In 2014, he graduated from the New York Academy of Art.
"I chose Rembrandt. It's not copying. I must stand and paint in front of Rembrandt's paintings. I must work precisely and decipher his painting techniques step by step and mixed and applied similar colours. While I was working, many people came to see and comment. It was not easy, but many people gave compliments to me. My visits and workshops at the MET allowed me to see many artists' works and were a turning point in my life," Chusit recalled.
Over the years, Chusit has won several national and international awards and contributed several of his paintings for the production of greeting cards for charity causes, such as for the Community Children Foundation.
The artist dearly loves and respects the royal family and expresses his love for them through his paintings. In 2004, he painted a portrait of Queen Sirikit for the cover of Dichan Magazine's August issue to celebrate the Queen's 72nd birthday. This painting was purchased by the president of Thai Farmers Bank who subsequently presented it to the Queen.
In 2015, he painted the portrait of King Bhumibol and Queen Sirikit for the covers of Dichan Magazine's August and December issues. He was one of the artists selected for three art exhibitions in Bangkok as tributes to King Bhumibol in 2016 and 2017.
"I created the art [for the 2018 Miss Universe pageant] due to my love and faith. On the Thai people's behalf, I have done my best as a way to express our gratitude towards Her Majesty Queen Sirikit and His Majesty the King," Chusit said proudly. "The main theme combines symbols that are meaningful for Thais."
