Yanawit Kunchaethong

Born in 1957 in Petchaburi, Yanawit Kunchaethong is one of Thailand’s most distinguished artists, especially among printmaking communities. After graduating from Silpakorn University, in 1984 he then went to Japan and got a Master of Fine Arts in Graphic Design at Aichi University of Arts and in 1988, he received a certificate in printmaking from the Florence Academy of Fine Arts in Italy. 

Kunchaethong has long been interested in botany and environmental sustainability. This interest began when he inherited a big plot of land full of diverse species of floras from his father. He then began to experiment with extracting colors from the plants. After the advent of solar farms which causes ecological imbalance on his plot of land, his urge to conserve the plant species intensified. He changed the materials in all his works to natural pigments, discarding all traditional chemical paints. His organic printmaking became his signature while he continues to expand on the medium. While his works usually come in abstract forms emphasizing the nature of the organic materials, he also incorporates letters and languages in his oeuvre. For example, he created site-specific installations with stenciling of saw dust of tree trunks that fell as a result of the solar farm. The wording or the organization of the letters leave viewers with questions to contemplate. Throughout his career, he received 24 awards and has exhibited in solo and group exhibitions all over the world for 26 times. He is currently an Emeritus Professor at The Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University.