Kingdom's arts

Best of the week

Kingdom's arts

Published on December 21, 2007

Best of the week

The Support Foundation of Her Majesty the Queen is holding the fifth "Arts of the Kingdom" exhibition, showcasing the works produced at the foundation's training centre in Chitralada Palace.

On display are works from previous years and 10 new masterpieces specially created for this year's event. Highlights are four pieces on loan from the collection of Wat Phra Kaew, the Temple of the Emerald Buddha. Two of the four are reproductions of the Lord Buddha's footprint in gold nielloware and silver/gold. Products from the foundation and the farms of the Royal Projects are also on offer at Suan Amporn.

The exhibition runs from 10am to 6pm daily until January 13 at Dusit Palace's Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall. Admission is Bt100 (Bt50 for students in uniform). Visitors are requested to dress appropriately. Photography is not permitted.

Royal khon

Calling attention to the significance of all aspects of khon masked dance and Thai cultural heritage, Her Majesty the Queen has commanded a new set of costumes for royal performances, fostering the continuation of craftsmanship in mask-making, embroidery and goldsmithing.

The result of the Khon and Lakorn Costume Production Committee's work will be seen in a new production, "Khon Ramayana", commemorating His Majesty the King's 80th birthday as well as the Queen's 75th birthday. The show is at 8pm on Thursday and December 28 at Thailand Cultural Centre.

The music selected for this special performance was composed by Prince Narissara Nuwatiwongse, and will be performed by a brass band.

Tickets are Bt500 to Bt1,500, available at Thaiticketmajor.

For more information, call (02) 262 3456.

Bamboo home

A bamboo hut is home to images of the world's endangered species in an exhibition by Norwegian-American artist Joan Backes.

Her first solo show in Thailand, "Bamboo House" is at PSG Gallery, Silpakorn University, until Thursday.

The bamboo hut is used to display images of endangered species from all seven continents of the world. Among them are the Karner Blue butterfly, native to the state of Wisconsin, where the artist grew up. There is also the piping plover from Massachusetts, where she now lives. Several large trees that have been "reformed" from recycled building materials as a reminder of the living origins of something we exploit and take for granted.

The gallery is at the university's Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts and is open from 10am to 7pm daily.

For more information,

call (02) 225 8991.