Khon Kaen University Lecturer Secures Third Class Honours Certificate (Bronze Medal) in the Printmaking Category from Thailand’s Most Esteemed and Long-standing Artistic Platform.

Dr Theerawat Mikhawan, a lecturer in the Bachelor of Fine Arts Programme, Visual Arts Department, Faculty of Fine Arts, Khon Kaen University (KKU), has been awarded the Third Class Honours Certificate (Bronze Medal) in the Printmaking category at the 70th National Exhibition of Art. The exhibition, hosted by Silpakorn University, is recognised as the most prestigious and historic competition and showcase for artistic expression in Thailand.

The award-winning piece, “Aesthetic Club” (Sutreeya Samosorn), is a mixed printmaking artwork measuring 158 x 127 centimetres. The work explores the contemporary social themes of beauty, diversity, and coexistence in multicultural societies. These ideas are conveyed through the symbolic motif of clasped hands, representing cooperation, understanding, and the acceptance of gender and identity differences within the LGBTQ+ community.

The artwork’s composition employs varied lines and textures, combining delicate and harsh elements, to reflect the complexity of emotions, feelings, and the multifaceted aesthetics of gender identity in contemporary society. The work thus serves not merely as artistic expression, but utilises art as a medium to question social structures and invite viewers to recognise the “aesthetics within difference,” an essential cultural value in modern society.

This national recognition highlights the creative potential of Khon Kaen University personnel in producing contemporary artworks that resonate socially, culturally, and emotionally. It also reflects KKU’s mission to serve as a hub of knowledge and innovation, committed to developing artistic expertise that plays a driving role in advancing Thai society towards equality and sustainability.

📸 ขอบคุณภาพประกอบจาก: The 70th National Exhibition of Art