SANTI LIBRARY

Between 1991 and 1996, Tawatchai Somkong created twenty-three deeply personal art books while studying at the Faculty of Painting, Visva-Bharati University in Santiniketan, India. Immersed in various cultures rich in spiritual tradition, Tawatchai found profound inspiration in his surroundings, which directly shaped his unique approach to artmaking—centred on symbolic abstraction rather than conventional representation.

Working mostly in solitude within his rented home, Tawatchai filled his art books with abstract drawings that served as visual reflections of his inner world. Each page stood as a complete thought, a journal entry in visual form. Over the years, these books became an enduring source of inspiration, fuelling later works and continuing to resonate through his artistic practice.

Most of these paintings draws on religious and cultural iconography—the Buddhist lotus, the Hindu lingam, the Islamic crescent moon, and the Christian Noah’s Ark—interwoven to evoke a shared vision of peace and spiritual unity across faiths. These symbols converge to express an ideal world, one rooted in harmony and mutual respect.

In the library of peace, more than two thousand abstract drawings from sixteen of these original art books are brought together, offering a rare glimpse into Tawatchai’s meditative exploration of life, belief, and beauty.

Exhibition on view: 9 June – 13 July 2025

Tawatchai Somkong, born in 1964 in Mae Hong Son, Thailand, studied art in India, where mentors K.G. Subramanyan and Jogen Chowdhury shaped his artistic and personal journey. In 2003, he founded Fine Art Magazine and later Plato13 Publishing, aiming to expand art and philosophical knowledge in Thailand.

As an artist, curator, and cultural leader, he has collaborated with international publishers, judged major art awards, and curated key exhibitions, including at the Venice Biennale. In 2020, he launched MATDOT Art Center in Bangkok—a creative hub combining galleries, publishing, a café, and artist residencies, reflecting his inclusive vision for art and community.