To encourage Thailand's art communities, River City Bangkok continued its collaboration with Italthai Group in hosting the Italthai Portrait Prize 2023 to serve as an open platform for professional, amateur and student artists to show their talents.
This year, it attracted more than 300 entries and offered four prizes — the Portrait Prize, Youth Prize, Packing Room Prize and People’s Choice Prize. Organised by Yuthachai Charanachitta, group CEO of Italthai Group, and Linda Cheng, managing director of River City Bangkok, the annual exhibition of finalists demonstrates Thailand’s inherent creativity as well as a variety of styles, techniques and lifestyles.
“We continue our journey towards growing mutual prosperity through innovative excellence, constantly fuelled by our core values of ‘Learn and Grow’ and ‘Create an Impact’. Our consistent support for various artists and individuals through the Italthai Portrait Prize competition empowers them to showcase their boundless talents, perspectives, creativity and limitless potential to the world. By doing so, we not only contribute to the advancement of Thailand’s art economy, but we also pave the way for a thriving future brimming with endless possibilities and success,” said Yuthachai.
The Portrait Prize aims to emphasise the value of genuine interpersonal relationships. All portraits must be created from live settings, whether the artist is painting a loved one, a friend or even a stranger. Making the human connection more profound and meaningful allows the artist to express the sitter’s narrative and highlight both the positive and negative aspects of our present society.
Thepporn Prikphet’s Bliss took home the Portrait Prize, which is worth 500,000 baht, while Jakkrit Srisongkram’s A Beloved Aunt With A Frail Body earned the Packing Room Prize, worth 200,000 baht. Sixteen-year-old Supakorn Punyasong received the 100,000-baht Youth Prize for Childhood Memory, while the 100,000-baht People’s Choice Prize will be chosen by the exhibition’s attendees on Nov 12.
Linda Cheng and Supakorn Punyasong.
Chadchart Sittipunt and Thepporn Prikphet.
Yuthachai Charanachitta and Jakkrit Srisongkram.