First time ever! Digital Arts NFT: RedCross x KX to showcase artworks
showcase artworks of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn
The Thai Red Cross Society and KASIKORN X (KX) have jointly unveiled “Digital Arts NFT: RedCross x KX” – a digital art exhibition to showcase the artworks of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. This is the first time in Thai art history that art pieces will be presented in the form of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) on Coral – an NFT marketplace platform of KX. Proceeds from sales of the artworks will be presented to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the Thai Red Cross Society. Interested persons are invited to view the exhibition offline and online on the NFT Innovation Wall from today until May 14, 2022, at ICON Art & Culture Space, 8th Floor, ICONSIAM. Reservations for the exhibits can be made from June onwards. This project is under the auspices of KASIKORNBANK PCL, Thai Beverage Plc., and ICONSIAM.
Mr. Tej Bunnag, Secretary General of the Thai Red Cross Society, said, “For the exhibition of digital art pieces of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Her Royal Highness who is the Thai Red Cross Society’s Executive Vice President, is the first artist who has graciously given art pieces to the Thai Red Cross Society’s exhibition, organized by the Fund Raising Bureau of the Thai Red Cross Society. The event is aimed at exhibiting Her Royal Highness’s exceptional artistry to the general public and receiving donations on the Coral Platform of KX in the form of non-fungible tokens or NFTs. Furthermore, the exhibition also affirms Her Royal Highness’s vision and clemency towards the Thai people, with the purpose of preparing all Thais for any adverse incidents, and to provide relief and recovery from natural disasters and threats caused by emerging diseases. The first donations via the Coral Platform will be granted by Her Royal Highness to the Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) of the Thai Red Cross Society for use in the aforementioned objectives.
Mrs. Pasinee Limatibul, Member of the Thai Red Cross Society Committee and Chairman of ICONSIAM Co., Ltd., noted about Her Royal Highness’s art pieces that “There are a total of 32 art pieces, including oil paintings, watercolor paintings, crayon paintings, poster color paintings and lithographs, given to the Thai Red Cross Society from Her Royal Highness’s collection; the history of each painting has been presented in Her Royal Highness’s books. The oldest paintings are the pictures of Barbados Pride trees and Purple Vase, painted in 1963 when Her Royal Highness was in Grade 3. The Barbados Pride trees were painted from the trees at Chitralada School, and Purple Vase was inspired by oil paintings of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who had given remaining paints to Her Royal Highness. Her Royal Highness therefore painted yellow flowers in a purple vase. Her Royal Highness said that His Majesty had sometimes taught about colors, and light and shadow techniques. Additionally, there are paintings that reflect the lifestyles of people from all walks of life such as rice farmers and miners, as well as those inspired by poems or various other works of literature. Such paintings include Temple of the Emerald Buddha that she drew in her personal diary in 1984, with a note saying, “Walking to Temple of the Emerald Buddha [HRH then stayed at the Grand Palace’s Borom Phiman Mansion because the Chitralada Royal Villa was being renovated] to find an appropriate spot to draw the Ho Phra Naga or a royal mausoleum, temples and Prasart Phra Thep Bidon (The Royal Pantheon) and Phra Mondopn. Having drawn for about an hour and a half, my teacher Ajarn Nion Sanitowng Na Ayudhya and her friends then came to decorate precious stones (on the movable throne in Ho Phra Naga), so I helped them do so until 11:00 a.m.” The Princess elaborated, “I went there early in the morning, and people also came here to pay respect to the Buddha later on. To be considerate, I decided to stop drawing because I did not want to sit there in the corridor; otherwise, people who were coming to view Ramayana murals would have to give way to me.” For this reason, she decided to stop drawing while at the Temple of the Emerald Buddha.
The Princess’s 32 paintings reflect her genius in arts and as a storyteller via her memoirs. Her paintings will be converted into digital files on the Coral Platform of KX to offer the public an opportunity to view their artistic genius while also enhancing and connecting the art world to the digital world in a seamless manner.
The opening of “Digital Arts NFT: RedCross x KX” – a digital art exhibition to showcase artworks of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn – was attended by honored guests across the creative industry, art collectors and agencies well-versed in digital assets, including Ms. Kattiya Indaravijaya, KBank Chief Executive Officer; Mr. Thapana Sirivadhanabhakdi, President & CEO, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited; Mrs. Katevalee Napasab, Director of ICONSIAM; Mrs. Janprapa Vichitcholchai, Deputy Director of Fund Raising Bureau, Thai Red Cross Society; Mr. Thanaarmates Arriyavat, Head of Venture Builder, KASIKORN X Co., Ltd. (KX); Mr. Nitikorn Kravixien, Director of Arts and Culture, Thai Beverage Public Company Limited; Ms. Pilada Intanate, Chief Operating Officer, DataOne Asia (Thailand) Company Limited; Mr. Sutthikead Chantarachairoj, Chief Executive Officer & Co-founder of SHIPPOP Co., Ltd.; and Dr. Doytibet Duchanee, Founding Partner, Art Curator and Creative Director of Thailand Digital Arts Festival (TDAF).
The exhibition featuring Her Royal Highness’s artworks will be on display from today until May 14, 2022, at ICON Art & Culture Space on the 8th floor of ICONSIAM. Opening hours are 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekdays, and 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. on weekends. Subsequently, the artworks will be uploaded to the coralworld.co website for future viewings, and donations can be made from June 2022 onwards. For more details, please make further inquiry at the public relations department, Fund Raising Bureau, Thai Red Cross Society, Tel. 0 2256 4440, 0 2255 9911.
