A Retrospective Exhibition “Abstract: The Truth of Art” Ithipol Thangchalok

16.01.2018

Sub-Series

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Artist’s biography
Ithipol Thangchalok, a Bangkokian by birth who was born in the beginning of 1946. During his simple childhood, he proved his love of art by spending most of his time drawing and was busy with drawing papers and color pencils. There was no uncertainty about his future for after high school, Ithipol determinedly studied at School of Fine Arts. He devoted himself to studying and making art of any type until he won many of the school’s awards every year. After that he studied the Bachelor’s degree at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture, and Printing, Silpakorn University. With open learning methods, Ithipol discovered the path he personally preferred – Abstract art.
In 1970, Ithipol graduated B.F.A. 1st Class Honors in Graphic Arts. He also had continually won Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals from the Nation Exhibition of Art since 1969 until he received Artist of Distinction Award in 1979 when he was only 33 years old. Ithipol started his family with Laxmi Hongnakorn in 1973 before going together to study the Master’s degree at Washington University, U.S.A. and went back to the homeland and worked as a lecturer at his Alma Mater according to the condition of the government scholarship he received.
Ithipol holds an academic position as Professor whose works are widely accepted and was honored as “National Artist” in 2008. For more than 50 years, Ithipol has been creating numerous abstract works of art and holding either six solo exhibitions and featuring in many national and international prints, drawing, and paintings art exhibitions in Europe, America, and Asia.
Even he now has Parkinson’s disease as the uninvited guest, Ithipol continues his path of Abstract art. And with the spirit of a mentor, Ithipol is always glad to teach in class whenever his condition allows.

Event Date: 18 August – 21 February 2016
Location: Main Gallery, 8th floor
Nearly 100 pieces including the former works and the ones that are never exhibited are the works from ever period during 50 years of creation of Ithipol Thangchalok who, among few Thai Contemporary artists, intently and determinedly persists in following the path of abstract art.

The exhibition presents the works that Ithipol has created since he was an undergraduate and graduate student. The show includes pieces from his very first solo exhibition “Recent Paintings” (1991) and many following exhibitions which are “The Color of Light” (2002), “Matter of Mind” (2004), “Primal Spirit” (2006), Intuition and Intellect” (2008), and “Alphabet” (2013). The exhibition also features the very recent collection “The Journey of Parkinson Lines” (2014-2015).

The path of his creation began with printing techniques that he practiced in his early years at Faculty Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University. In those days, Ithipol did not yet officially have knowledge of abstract art. Four major techniques he studied consisted of silkscreen, etching, woodcut, and lithograph. All these techniques were incorporated into different themes that include organic form of seeds, trees in a city, wall, and human figure and space. Ithipol gradually made these representational forms to be abstract ones. A seed that was once recognizable became a geometric figure. A large bush became a group of lines that freely ran. A human figure was turned into slices of geometric forms. These basic printing techniques later led him to discover particular techniques that resulted in the content of his work.

Exhibitions department

Press release

Supported by: Asia Plus Group Holdings Public Company Limited and SCG Foundation

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