A famous and revered shaman in northern Thailand, Phor Nan Ton is also a well-known artist who has used his creativity in the past to decorate temples and to draw yantra shirts and cloths. His healing skills are also reknown and still bring people to him. One of his trademarks is to dress in women’s attire to fool the evil spirits and thus make his work more effective.
| Anointing with special oils |
At ninety years old (2011) he is still actively creating paintings and drawings and we are pleased to be able to offer some recent, as well as much older, works.
In the tradition of many so-called ‘folk’ artists he uses what materials are at hand, be they cardboard, paper, advertising posters, wooden boards… whatever. Nor is he particular about how the finished work is treated: many pieces are put outside on his porch, or in his ‘sala’. Some line the walls in his home, one atop another, subject to water leaks, teething kittens, insects, rodents, etc. Part of our mission has been to rescue these works, and part of it is to bring his singular vision to a wider audience. These are works of myth, religion and spirituality- Buddhist mostly, but informed by the wisdom and knowledge of a rich, long life. For us as viewers, there is much here to learn from, and much to delight the eye.
Paintings in the outdoor 'sala'
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