Artist : Damrong Wong-Uparaj
“The ultimate goal of my life and art is peace. I have passed the struggling periods of life and art, and the study of Buddhism and philosophy have been a great help to my life and art, bringing peace to both. Peace is an abstraction that can be found in both reality and the abstract. Art is not imitation but imagination. All of my creative works of art are from my imagination and from meditation that leads to peace for humanity.”
Born1 September 1936, Chiengrai, Thailand.
Pass away2002
Educations
1957-1962- B.F.A., Silpakorn University Bangkok.
1962-1963- Certificate, Slade School of Fine Arts, University College, London.
1963- Independent studies in France and Italy.
1968-1969- M.F.A., University of Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
1969-1970- Studied art history at Columbia University, New York, U.S.A.
1970- Observation of art and art activities in Denmark and Germany.
1976-1977- Independent study in Japan.
1978- Observation of art in Australia.
1979- Observation of art in India.
Important Exhibition :
1956-1964- National Exhibition of Art.
1963- St. Pancras Art Festival, London, UK.
– Thai Contemporary Art in London, UK.
1963- One-man show at Galerie du Passeur, Paris, France.
– One-man show at Gallerie Numero, Florence, Italy.
1964- One-man show at TOT, Bangkok.
– One-man show at USIS, Chiang Mai.
1965- 1st International Art Exhibition, Bangkok.
1968- Asian Prints Exhibition, Pratt Graphic Center, New York, U.S.A.
– International Biennial Exhibition of Prints, National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, Japan.
– One-man show at Gallery 20, Bangkok.
1969- 16 Young Artists Exhibition, Institute of Contemporary Art, Philadelphia, U.S.A.
– One-man show at Solidaridad Gallery, Manila, Philippines.
1973- Internationale Exposition de Gravures, Museum of History, Geneva, Switzerland.
1974- Art Exhibition, Silpa Bhirasri Art Gallery, Bangkok.
– Art Exhibition, National Gallery, Bangkok.
1974- Two-men show at the Japan Artists Association, Tokyo, Japan.
1977- One-man show at Goethe Institute, Bangkok.
1979- One-man show at ICCR, New Delhi, India.
1982- Thai Contemporary Art Exhibition, Pacific Asia Museum Pasadena, U.S.A.
– Retrospective organized by Silpakorn University at the Art Gallery, Bangkok.
1985- Exhibition of Thai Art : Past and Present, Center of Fine Arts, Beijing, China.
1991- 5th Asian International Exhibition of Art, National Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
– 1st Singapore Festival of Art, National Museum, Singapore.
– Contemporary Asian Prints, Fukuoka, Japan.
– Integrative Art of Modern Thailand Exhibition in 5 museums in U.S.A., organized by University of California, Berkeley.
1992- One-man show “30 Years of Prints by Damrong Wong-Uparaj” Exhibition, organized by British Council, Bangkok.
1994- One-man show exhibition of Modern Paintings Prints by Damrong Wong-Uparaj, organized by Thai Art Council and the Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena, U.S.A.
Prizes and Awards
1960- 1st Prize, Gold Medal, National Exhibition of Art.
1962- 1st Prize, Suan Pakkad Art Exhibition, Bangkok.
1962-1963- British Council Scholarship.
1968-1970- J.D. Rockefeller 3rd Fund Fellowship, U.S.A.
1970- Invitation to visit Germany by German Government’s Foreign Office.
1974- Invitation to the conference of Esthetics Study by UNESCO.
1976-1977- Japan Foundation Fellowship, Japan.
1978- Australian Cultural Awards.
1979- Invitation to visit, lecture and exhibit in India by ICCR of the Indian Government.
1994- Invitation and grant for lecture and one-man exhibition from the Thai Art Council and the Pacific Asia Museum, Pasadena U.S.A.
1997- Invited by the Office of National Culture Commission to represent Thailand in the World Congress on the the Status of Artist, UNESCO, Paris, France.
