On 27 April 2025 at 4 pm, SEA Junction partnered with John F. Kennedy (JFK) Foundation of Thailand hosted a discussion of the book “Art in Thailand: An Illustrated Introduction”, written by art lecturer Chedha Tingsanchali. This handbook for understanding Thai art from the 5th-20th centuries is an attempt to document for a general public the whole timeline and tendencies of art history in Thailand from the beginning of civilization to the early 20ᵗʰ century CE.

In the mid-20th century, Prince Damrong Rajanubhab initiated a classification system for ancient Thai objects and monuments based on historical kingdoms, including both Pre-Thai and Thai periods. This effort sparked interest among Thai art historians, leading them to develop various theories about Thai art. One significant contribution came from Prince Subhadradis Diskul, who founded the Department of Art History at Silpakorn University. In 1963, he published the first English-language book on the subject, Thai Art: A Brief History. His work paved the way for further research by his students to promote a deeper understanding of Thai art. In this new compact guide book, Chedha summarized the long and complicate art histories, theories, and tendencies in a nutshell with the aim to simplify the history of Thai art and make it accessible to foreigners who like to learn about Thai art, with the exemplification of masterpieces, illustrations, and short captions.

Speaker Bio

Chedha Tingsanchali is a Thai professor and scholar of art history. He is a lecturer in the Department of Art History, Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University, with expertise in Indian and Southeast Asian art and history, especially on the influence of Buddhism and Brahmin on art, as well as the influence of Indian art in Southeast Asia.

Photographer: Vinissa Kattiya-aree