"In my opinion, works of art are the quintessential expression of mankind and nationhood. In other words, works of art represent civilisations as well as national identity and cultural heritage.

"In this respect, I regard my work over the past four decades as contemporary Thai art in the reign of King Rama IX," says Preecha, a master of visual arts, including painting, collage and mixed media.

Several years ago Preecha was one of the seven leading national artists selected to create paintings for "Mahajanaka", a book penned by His Majesty the King, who himself is a very knowledgeable and versatile artist whether it be in painting, sculpture or photography.

More recently Preecha has worked for Thai Airways International (THAI) as its chief artistic consultant for the national flag-carrier's multibillion-baht head-office and hotel projects at the new Suvarnabhumi International Airport.

The underlying concept of the THAI projects is Suvarnabhumi, which literally means "Golden Land".

"Historically Suvarnabhumi included Thailand, Burma, Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia. Culturally, this vast area was heavily influenced by the civilisations of India and China via trade, religion etc.

"Today all nations in Suvarnabhumi still have some common traits, namely an agriculture-based way of life, Buddhism and similar art and culture," Preecha says.

"The lotus is a good example of the heritage of Suvarnabhumi. India has the lotus, so do Thailand and other Indo-Chinese nations, which is why we've created the Suvarnabhumi airport hotel in the form of a giant glass lotus that reflects its surroundings.

"In addition, hundreds of original paintings and sculptures that reflect the cultural heritage of Suvarnabhumi have been installed in guest rooms, along the corridors and in the lobby and other facilities," says Preecha, who holds a master's in Fine Arts from Silapakorn University and a diploma from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Rome.

Preecha is currently holding an exhibition at Burapha University in Chon Buri province, which showcases his work based on the effect of light and shade on Buddhist monasteries in Thailand and neighbouring countries.

"It covers monasteries in three former kingdoms which shared the Buddhist faith. The first is Lanna or Chiang Saen, which today includes several provinces in northern Thailand. This area was under the religious and cultural influence of what is today Burma for nearly two centuries. It was also influenced by Sip Song Panna in southern China," he says. "The second is Lan Chang, the former kingdom north of the Mekong, which today is [parts of] Burma, northeastern Thailand, southern China, Vietnam and Cambodia.

"The third is Sri Ayutthaya, which is today central Thailand. It's like a hub in Suvarnabhumi, characterised by a Buddhist way of life, the monarchy and an agrarian society.

"In other words, the work depicts a cultural triangle covering today's Thailand, Laos and Burma," Preecha says.

"Overall, the exhibition also shows the evolution of my work from 1970 until the present day. It started very abstract. From 1975 onwards it was sort of semi-abstract, and since 2003 it's been more realistic," he says.

Interestingly, Preecha's three younger brothers are also outstanding practitioners of the visual arts. Suchart Thaothong, an associate professor at Burapha University, is an award-winning watercolourist, Somchai Thaothong is a renowned sculptor, and youngest brother Suvichan has won several awards for his paintings and sketches.

In 2000 the four Thaothong brothers held a joint exhibition at the National Gallery to mark HM the King's 72nd birthday.

They also auctioned some of their work to raise funds for HM the King's charity projects.

Nophakhun Limsamarnphun

nop1122@yahoo.com