ARNAN RATCHAWAMG INN (born in 1973)


" Manusphuto" Oil on canvas signed lower right 130 x 100 cm

Arnan Ratchawang-inn is a renowned Lanna artist, who has established himself within international art circles, and has produced exceptional artworks throughout his distinguished career.
Arnan specialises in traditional Thai paintings, a story that would begin once he had finished secondary education, whereupon he attended Payap Technological and Business College, Chiang Mai, and it was here that he was inspired by Surasit Saokong (and other seniors who studied at Silpakorn University) to pursue an artistic and creative path. Following this inspiration, Arnan chose to continue his study of Thai Art at Silpakorn University where he obtained his Bachelor and Master degrees. 
At the start of his career, Arnan heavily used the concept of ‘mother’ in his art, such as with the Rice Goddess and Chthonic Goddess (Phra Mae Phosop and Phra Mae Thorani) - subsequently his teacher advised him to create works that he himself had the most understanding in, leading him to think of his own mother. His artworks at that time represented maternal warmth, affection; Lanna lullabies in the form of Thai traditional paintings.
Arnan continued to improve his technique and perception while still maintaining his prior conceptual art during his Master degree study. 
After graduation and upon becoming an artist, Arnan can recall a time his mother took him to the temple to enter the monkshood. That experience turned his art towards the direction of Buddhism.

Faith in Buddhism is expressed through the figures of the mother and child in paintings. Although Arnan focused on creating traditional Thai art at the start of his career, he later integrated certain western techniques into his works, e.g. while the figures in the painting possess the traditional Thai characteristics, the colours and shades are of those found in classical western art. Gradually his paintings moved from a flat dimension to more a realistic perspective, which would later also be given deeper symbolic meanings. This has been the constant evolution of Arnan’s artistic identity.