Ecstasy Land
1990–1999
Created during Tawatchai Somkong’s formative years before and during his stay in India, Ecstasy Land reflects his growing fascination with cultural and religious diversity. The early series (1–4) combined realism and semi-abstraction, rooted in natural forms and daily life. His exposure to India deepened his awareness of the coexistence and conflicts among different faiths, inspiring him to explore symbolic forms that represented belief systems.
In series 5–6, Tawatchai developed a utopian vision — a coexistence of differences — through religious symbols: Noah’s Ark for Christianity, the lotus for Buddhism, the lingam-yoni for Hinduism, and the circumcised phallus for Islam. The violent Hindu-Muslim clashes of 1992 profoundly affected him, turning his focus to Thailand as a true “land of harmony,” where diverse faiths coexist peacefully.
Later series (7–9) explored the altar as a spiritual bridge between humans and divinity, often expressed through mountain-like forms and stupa shapes. By the final phase (series 10), Tawatchai reached a synthesis: all religions, he realised, ultimately seek wisdom. The recurring image of the blooming lotus became a metaphor for enlightenment — the universal force of transformation that transcends worldly and spiritual boundaries.
Ecstasy Land thus marks Tawatchai’s evolution from narrative realism to symbolic abstraction, and from personal observation to philosophical reflection on faith, coexistence, and the pursuit of wisdom.
Ecstasy Land
Series 1–4
Ecstasy Land
Series 5–6
Ecstasy Land
Series 7
Ecstasy Land
Series 8–9
Ecstasy Land