Somsak Chowtadapong

Somsak Chowtadapong, Thailand National Artist portrait photoSOMSAK CHOWTADAPONG

Born in 1949, Thailand.
National Artist of Thailand, 2017.

EDUCATION

1967 School of Fine Arts, Bangkok Thailand
1972 Silpakorn University (B.F.A. 2nd Hon, Painting) Bangkok, Thailand.
1979 Silpakorn University (M.F.A. Painting) Bangkok, Thailand
1979 Diploma, Institute of Fine Art, Urbino, Italy
1985 Certificate, Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan
SCHOLARSHIPS
Silpakorn University scholarship
Italian Government scholarship
Japan Ministry of Education scholarship

OFFICIAL POSITION

1997 Director of Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Fine Arts, Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Education
2000 Director of Suphanburi College of Fine Arts, Fine Arts Department, Ministry of Education.
2003 Director of Art Center, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture
2004 Director of Fund and Network Relation Center, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture.
2008 Deputy Director of Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture
2010 Inspector General, Ministry of Culture
2011-2012 Advisor to the Ministry of Culture

AWARDS

1970 3rd prize, Christian Center Art Exhibition
1972 2nd prize, 21st National Art Exhibition
1974 3rd prize, 22nd National Art Exhibition
1985 Sairin Gallery’s Grand Prix, Yokohama, Japan
1986 Merit Award from “The Baghdad International Festival of Art 1986”, lraq

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

1983 National Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
1985 Sairin Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
1986 Sairin Gallery, Yokohama, Japan
1987 “Poetic Garden”, The Artist’s Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2013 “Dystopia”, Wangna Art Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2016 “Works on paper & Watercolour”, Wangna Art Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand
2017 “The Dark Paintings”, Ratchadamnoen Contemporary Art Center Bangkok, Thailand

BIOGRAPHY

Somsak Chowtadapong was born in Thailand in 1949. When he turned 18, he graduated from the School of Fine Arts, Bangkok Thailand, then pursued a Bachelor of Fine Art (2nd Hon, Painting) at Silpakorn University, Bangkok, Thailand. He then continued studying further for his master’s degree at the same institute. In 1979, he went abroad to get a Diploma from the Institute of Fine Art, Urbino, Italy. He also accomplished a Certificate from Yokohama National University, Yokohama, Japan in 1985. As Chowtadapong possessed a remarkable talent in his field, all his higher education were sponsored by the government of Thailand, Italy, and Japan respectively. In early 2018, Somsak was announced by the Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand for being conferred with the title of National Artist in Visual Arts (painting) of Thailand 2017. Somsak has also held many governmental positions throughout his career. In 1997, he was the Director of Nakhon Si Thammarat College of Fine Arts, Ministry of Education. Then, in 2003, he was assigned to be the Director of Art Center, Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture in 2003. Somsak gained a promotion to be the Deputy Director and then to Inspector General two short years later. Alongside his administrative work, he is also the winner of various awards in Thailand, Japan, and Iraq. Since 1983, many of his solo and group exhibitions have been successfully held in Thailand, Japan, Geneva and recently in Malaysia and Switzerland.