Wattana Wattanapun
Wattana Wattanapun is a Thai artist whose journey spans Thailand, the U.S., and Canada. Trained at Silpakorn University and the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), he immersed himself in diverse landscapes, from the Atlantic shores to the Pacific Northwest, shaping his artistic perspective. His work blends traditional Thai motifs with contemporary influences, using oil, acrylic, and gold leaf on paper. A former visiting professor at renowned institutions like RISD and Simon Fraser University, Wattana’s art is held in collections worldwide.
Featured Works
"To me , Painting is privacy. I'll be in the mood. I painted with passion. Making art is like making love."
Painting Music
Painting Music
Painting Music is a unique piece created by Wattana Wattanapun in collaboration with the late composer Bruce Gaston (1946–2021). This painting was executed in real-time during a 25-minute live performance, where each brushstroke responded to the rhythm and energy of the music.
As Gaston played, Wattana translated sound into color and form, capturing the dynamic relationship between visual art and music. The result is a painting that reflects movement, improvisation, and the fleeting yet powerful connection between two artistic expressions.
Year: 1991
Size: 90x220 cm
Medium: Oil
Passage to West IV
Passage to West IV
Wattana Wattanapun’s time in the United States greatly influenced his artistic vision. Traveling from Providence to the vast landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, he witnessed the interplay of nature’s organic forms and geometric structures. The shifting light, expansive spaces, and the passage of time became central themes in his work. The Pacific, once a distant concept, became an ever-present force, influencing both his perception of space and his artistic expression.
The Passage to West series embodies this experience, capturing both the organic and geometric elements of the landscapes he encountered. Through four canvases, Wattana translates the interplay between nature’s organic forms and structured geometry, reflecting the passage of time in shifting colors and evolving spaces. The color fields shift in tone and form, embodying the transformation he underwent while living and working in this environment.
Each painting in this series is not just a depiction of place but a meditation on time—how it moves, how it shapes, and how it lingers in the landscapes we pass through. Passage to West is a visual chronicle of him embracing change, absorbing his surroundings, and translating them into timeless works of art.
Size: 131x152 cm.
Medium: Oil
Passage to West I
Passage to West I
Wattana Wattanapun’s time in the United States greatly influenced his artistic vision. Traveling from Providence to the vast landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, he witnessed the interplay of nature’s organic forms and geometric structures. The shifting light, expansive spaces, and the passage of time became central themes in his work. The Pacific, once a distant concept, became an ever-present force, influencing both his perception of space and his artistic expression.
The Passage to West series embodies this experience, capturing both the organic and geometric elements of the landscapes he encountered. Through four canvases, Wattana translates the interplay between nature’s organic forms and structured geometry, reflecting the passage of time in shifting colors and evolving spaces. The color fields shift in tone and form, embodying the transformation he underwent while living and working in this environment.
Each painting in this series is not just a depiction of place but a meditation on time—how it moves, how it shapes, and how it lingers in the landscapes we pass through. Passage to West is a visual chronicle of him embracing change, absorbing his surroundings, and translating them into timeless works of art.
Size: 244x122 cm.
Medium: Oil
Passage of West III
Passage of West III
Wattana Wattanapun’s time in the United States greatly influenced his artistic vision. Traveling from Providence to the vast landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, he witnessed the interplay of nature’s organic forms and geometric structures. The shifting light, expansive spaces, and the passage of time became central themes in his work. The Pacific, once a distant concept, became an ever-present force, influencing both his perception of space and his artistic expression.
The Passage to West series embodies this experience, capturing both the organic and geometric elements of the landscapes he encountered. Through four canvases, Wattana translates the interplay between nature’s organic forms and structured geometry, reflecting the passage of time in shifting colors and evolving spaces. The color fields shift in tone and form, embodying the transformation he underwent while living and working in this environment.
Each painting in this series is not just a depiction of place but a meditation on time—how it moves, how it shapes, and how it lingers in the landscapes we pass through. Passage to West is a visual chronicle of him embracing change, absorbing his surroundings, and translating them into timeless works of art.
Passage to West III marks the third of Wattana's breath of this evolution
Size: 244x122 cm.
Medium: Oil
Passage to West II
Passage to West II
Wattana Wattanapun’s time in the United States greatly influenced his artistic vision. Traveling from Providence to the vast landscapes of the Pacific Northwest, he witnessed the interplay of nature’s organic forms and geometric structures. The shifting light, expansive spaces, and the passage of time became central themes in his work. The Pacific, once a distant concept, became an ever-present force, influencing both his perception of space and his artistic expression.
The Passage to West series embodies this experience, capturing both the organic and geometric elements of the landscapes he encountered. Through four canvases, Wattana translates the interplay between nature’s organic forms and structured geometry, reflecting the passage of time in shifting colors and evolving spaces. The color fields shift in tone and form, embodying the transformation he underwent while living and working in this environment.
Each painting in this series is not just a depiction of place but a meditation on time—how it moves, how it shapes, and how it lingers in the landscapes we pass through. Passage to West is a visual chronicle of him embracing change, absorbing his surroundings, and translating them into timeless works of art.
Passage to West II marks the second of Wattana's breath of this evolution
Size: 244x122 cm.
Medium: Oil