Chatmongkol Insawang’s Biography
Kawintra Tipdoungkum and reviewed by Prof. Dr.Peter Hartwich
1980 : Chatmongkol Insawang was born in November in Suphanburi Province. He is the second son of five siblings in a Buddhist family with mixed beliefs between Thai and Chinese. After his brother died so his mother didn’t want him to die like his older brother. According to the beliefs of the community his mother therefore gave him to be the son of an important Buddha image Statue of Suphanburi Province so that the Buddha’s virtues would help protect him and keep him healthy and for this reason, he has grown up with a relationship with the Buddha ever since his childhood. As he said in an interview;
“I always look at the Buddha statue. The eyes and the smile of the Buddha image make it possible to forget the fear that has occurred. There is no past, present or future. There is only beauty in the feeling I was touched and shaken by. It is the most harmonious connection between beauty and goodness. But I’m still don’t know about the meaning of the truth at that time.”
But even so, he still encountered near-death events several times. From an early age he became interested and began to ask the simplest philosophical questions about the meaning of life and death.
1989 : In his youth, Chatmongkol spent his life in nature near the river. Therefore, modeling clay along the canal became a childhood toy that could support many of his imaginations. When he was 9 years old, his homeroom teacher saw the drawing he had made and encouraged him to take extra art lessons on holidays. Until causing him to receive excellent awards at the national level often.
1995 : When Chatmongkol graduated from high school. A teacher who was a friend of his mother advised him to take the entrance exam at Poh-Chang Academy of Arts. But when mother found out that the College of Fine Arts has recently expanded its campus in Suphanburi. His mother therefore had him study at the College of Fine Arts, Suphanburi, because his mother did not want him to be far from home. It was during this time that he practiced hard in painting and sculpture. As a result, his work receives an annual award every year, with his favorite subject being Drawing, Sculpture and Thai Art.
1998 : Chatmongkol continued his studies in the Faculty of Painting Sculptures and Prints of Silpakorn University with an interest in modern sculptures created during the era of Professor Silpa Bhirasri, which were often inspired by Thai art in the past. There was so much to see and study, along with the challenge of working in sculpture, so he chose to major in sculpture and minor in drawing. with Professor Emeritus Khemrat Kongsook and Professor Emeritus Wichai Sitthirat are the advisors.
2003 : Chatmongkol graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degre. Second class honors, in the same year also received the second honors award, silver medal in the Sculpture from submitting a series of works “Nature Existence of Humanity” entered the competition for the first time at the 49th National Art Exhibition. By the award-winning work Currently installed permanently at the Sculpture Park in front of Silpakorn University Phetchaburi Campus and the work that were exhibited in the same year are now on permanent display at the Sermkhun Kunawong Museum House.
2004 : After graduation Chatmongkol has been working as a full-time teacher at Thaivichitsilp College. But due to full-time teaching and health problems, he didn’t have much time to work on his art, so he decided to resign a year later. After that, he worked as an assistant sculptor to his beloved teacher Nikorn Kochchaphong (1953 – 2018), an expert sculptor at the Fine Arts Department. Co-creator of the Phuttamonthon Buddha statue “Phra Sri Sakaya Tossapolyan” designed by Professor Silpa Bhirasri, along with continuing to work on contemporary sculptures in the figuretive style. by part of the works created during this period It is an award-winning work of Krung Thai Bank in the 50th National Art Exhibition and has been permanently installed at the Krungthai Sculpture Park, Khao Yai, Nakhon Ratchasima Province.
2005 : While working on monument sculpture with Nikorn, Chatmongkol went on to study a master’s degree in sculpture at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts. Silpakorn University along with working by using income earned from monument work to make art and study until graduation.
2006 : Chatmongkol was assigned by Associate Professor Thanomchit Chumwong, Head of the Sculpture Department, Faculty of Painting, Silpakorn University, to be responsible for the construction and restoration. Sculpture work that won awards from the National Art Competition from the past until 2006, which was an opportunity for him to study and learn with works of the many artist. But in the same year he learned the terrible news of his mother’s illness with cancer, which deeply affected him. And it was considered an important turning point in the concept of making art and the attitude towards the existence of life and death.
2007 : Chatmongkol was selected by the Arts and Culture Committee of the Italian Embassy in Thailand to receive an art scholarship at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze, Republic of Italy, for one academic year. His concern for his mother’s health care Therefore causing him to want to give up his rights in the beginning. But due to his mother’s intentions, he traveled to study in a mentally unprepared state. with Professor Prof. Vittorio Fumasi and Professor Prof. Tozzi Tommaso is a faculty advisor. His work during his studies in Italy was based on his thoughts and feelings towards his mother. The series “Mother and I, Here” was created through reproductions of his face come out and make a picture of your mother’s face on top of it. The work resembles a mask made from overlapping a relief (positive) of his mother’s face and a blank space of his face (negative) on the back, which he wore on his face while traveling go to important places in Italy and recorded and displayed in a double exhibition called “Opera Muta” (Work of Silence) at the DEA Gellery, Florence.
2009 : After returning from studying art in Italy Chatmongkol found that his body was abnormally weak, after physical examination Doctors diagnosed severe hepatitis and required ongoing treatment. In the meantime, he continued to work on his series of “Nature Existence of Humanity” And a metal sculpture about 6 meters high in this series was purchased as a second piece for the collection of the Bangkok Sculpture Center.
2011 : Chatmongkol was appointed as a lecturer in the Department of Sculpture at Poh-Chang Academy of Arts from the recommendation of Professor Emeritus Khemrat Kongsook, he was appointed head of the department in the next 3 years for 2 terms. It was a time when he passed on his knowledge and artistic abilities to many students. And because of his administrative work, his works, both paintings and sculptures during this period, were mostly small.
2015 : Due to the government work for Academy, most of Chatmongkol’s work during 2015-17 was mostly work done for society and the Academy, such as
- Jury of the Young Thai Artist Award “SCG Foundation”.
- Royal Monument of King Chulalongkorn installed at the Ministry of Justice.
- The person responsible for the project “Phra Nakorn Kor for the Blind” to create low relief sculpture for the visually impaired to experience the story of “Mahajanaka”, the royal writing of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej.
- Assigned by the leader of the sculpture section of the Fine Arts Department, is the main sculptor in sculpture “Phra Pinek – Phinai” to mount the cremation to take His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej into the sky after Thai Beliefs.
- A solo exhibition of King Rama IX “The heart of the land”, Poh-Chang Art Gallery.
- Assistant sculptor Sculpt a monument of Sergeant Saman Gunan under the supervision of Professor Methee Chalermchai Kositpipat.
2017 : Due to wanting to devote more time to working on art in his own way, Chatmongkol requested a leave of absence from Academy to study at the doctoral level at the Faculty of Painting, Silpakorn University. which is in the 5th generation together with 1. The Princess Srisavangavadhana (Princess Chulabhorn), 2. Mr. Prach Pimanman, 3. Mr. Pison Suwanpakdee, 4. Ms. Ruthairat Kumsrichan, 5. Mrs. Watcharaporn Srisuk. during this time He devoted himself seriously to his art and it was an important turning point that his work led to the creation of the form of natural state (Rūpa – Dhamma) from considering the existence of the body through observing the properties of the Breath and expression of Buddha
2018 : Chatmongkol’s sculpture “The Existence of Dharma in Figure” won the bronze medal in the 64th National Exhibition of Art at the National Art Gallery.
2019 : Chatmongkol’s paintings and sculptures in the set “The Existence of Dharma in Figure” has been selected to participate in the exhibition in the 65th National Exhibition of Art on display at the National Art Gallery.
2020 : The painting and sculpture series “The Existence of Drarma in Figures” has been exhibited at the National Museum. Chao Fa Art Gallery in an exhibition called “Preciouse Space“
2021 : Chatmongkol plans to have a Solo Exhibition at the AUA Language Center – Alumni Association of the United States of America under Royal Patronage in collaboration with Serindia Gallery and solo exhibitions at West Kunst Nied Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany from the coordination of artist Prof. Dr. Peter Hartwich and curator Spomenka Molly Aleckovic. However, due to the COVID-19 situation, it is still spreading. around the world, causing the exhibition of work to be postponed
2022 : Chatmongkol has exhibited his work together with Imhathai Suwatthanasilp in the exhibition “Breathe” by curator Nim Niyomsin at Richard Koh Fine Art, Singapore.
2022 : Chatmongkol has exhibited his solo work in an exhibition called “Transcendence: Body as Landscape” by Curator Nim Niyomsin at Richard Koh Fine Art, Bangkok, Thailand
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