Mid-century modernist Southeast Asian painting by Sawasdi Tantisuk (Thailand 1925-2009).

Oil on thin masonite panel. Framed.

Appears to be signed, indistinctly, inscribed into the paint while wet, lower right (see photos). Printed label, with artists name and the title of the work, taped to the back of the frame: Sawasdi Tantisuk - "Khwase Wang Thong" (see photos)

An abstracted modernist depiction of three women working (planting rice) on a river. Thick impasto and dynamic vertical composition. Circa 1960-1970.

Painting: 15" x 28 1/4" (38 cm x 72 cm)

Frame: 20" x 33 3/4" (51 cm x 86 cm)

PROVENANCE: Los Angeles, California estate.

CONDITION: Good condition with the following noted: Very light surface wear in several places; small amounts of paint separation (black areas); some overall yellowing to the varnish. Original frame in worn condition.

NOTES / REFERENCES: Tantisuk was born in Thonburi, Thailand, and was a contemporary of Tawee Nandakwang; both artists were trained at Silpakorn University and the Academy of Fine Arts in Rome. As a prominent figure in early Thai modernism, Tantisuk favored watercolor, as its unforgiving and immediate characters resonated with his approach to art practice, which drew on the Buddhist philosophy wherein each action—in this case, brushstroke—cannot be undone.

Tantisuk’s early works were in the impressionist genre, but following his four years in Rome, his work became more abstracted and geometric as he absorbed some of the major trends in Western art, with color and texture being characteristics of many oil paintings of the 1960s.

As his career progressed, abstraction remained his favored approach to painting, though he maintained some realist elements in his outdoor scenes. Tantisuk used color to evoke emotion in his works, depicting both the serenity and wonder of the natural world and the bustle of Thai urban life. He received an Honorary PhD from Silpakorn University in 1991, and was Thailand’s National Artist (painting) that same year.

Exhibitions:

Bangkapi Gallery, Bangkok

Raja Gallery, Bangkok

Isemo, Milan

Retrospective Exhibition, The National Gallery, Bangkok

Honours:

1955 Artist of Distinction in Painting, The National Exhibition of Art

1984 Phd. Hon. in Painting, Silpakorn University

1991 National Artist in Painting

1992 Member of The Royal Institute (painting).

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