The Team
Tawee Kesangam
Watercolorist Artist
Master Tawee is one of the most accomplished
water colour artists working today.
He was born in 1965 in Ubon Ratchathani in Esan, Thailand. As a schoolboy, Master Tawee was trained in painting and drawing, initially at home, by an artist uncle. Even at a young age Tawee demonstrated extraordinary painting and drawing talent. He was accepted to study fine art at the Poh Chang Academy of Arts, the oldest dedicated fine arts college in Thailand. After graduating from Poh Chang, he was accepted to study for a master’s degree at the Faculty of Fine Art at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok,
the most prestigious university in Thailand.
Master Tawee had his first solo exhibition in Bangkok at age 25, a very unusual achievement at that time. In 2000 Master Tawee established Baan Silapin, as the first independent artists’ village in Hua Hin, Thailand, and it continues today as one of the leading and most visited art communities in Thailand.
In a career spanning more than 30 years, Master Tawee has established himself as one of the premier watercolour artists working today. He is a member of the International Watercolour Society, was elected President of the IWS (2014-17), and is a visiting Professor at Chulalongkorn University.
He has exhibited internationally in Thailand, the Middle East, Asia and Europe. He is a very active supporter of the arts and participates regularly in festivals and workshops throughout Thailand and Asia. He sells most of his work, directly, to both Thai and foreign collectors. His work is included in several of the most important private collections in Thailand, including the Royal Household. His personal Facebook group is one of the most widely followed for any Thai artist.
The majority of his work falls withing three main categor
landscape, floral studies, and female figurative & portraiture. Additionally, he undertakes large scale mural projects for public and private building exteriors.
Master Tawee is married to another leading Thai artist, Nang Kesangam, also from Ubon Ratchathani. As a “power-art” couple, commentators have noted some similar qualities to the greatest power-art couple of all, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera from Mexico.
Julian Cooper
Project Sponsor
Mr Cooper is a retired British businessman, investor and art collector, who has lived, worked and visited Thailand for 40 years.
He visited Thailand initially in 1986. He lived and worked in Bangkok for 2 years during the the Asian financial crisis (1997-98). He lives in the UK and has owned a home in Hua Hin since 2009. He splits his time between the UK and Thailand. He has been a keen collector of Asian art for 30 years, particularly Thai art, and has travelled widely in Esan.
In 2010, Mr Cooper was fortunate to be able to acquire one of Master Tawee’s finest paintings, a surreal Buddhist composition, inspired by the artist’s a visit to Tibet. That purchase marked the start of a wonderful artist/collector relationship, based around their shared love of Thai art, culture, and “all things Esan”. The Isaan Girl project emerged out of many discussions between Master Tawee and Mr Cooper.
Mr Cooper holds degrees from the University of Oxford and IMD International, Lausanne. He is married to a British citizan and has sons working in finance in London and New York.