RATCHABURI — A Thai artist recently won first place in a watercolor painting competition among ASEAN artists held as part of a collaboration between Thailand and China. The award-winning work, which used “coffee” as a painting medium, was presented by Thotsaphon Chandrasuk, a 61-year-old former art teacher at Photharam Technical College in Ratchaburi.
His award-winning artwork depicts the serene and lush cityscape of Xiamen in Fujian Province, China. Although his original painting now remains with the committee in China, he has kept a photograph as a memento.
Thotsaphon had previously taken part in a worldwide watercolor competition organized by the International Watercolor Society (IWS) in Kosovo and won first place. The prize-winning painting, which shows an elderly man smoking a pipe, was also painted using coffee as the main medium.
Thotsaphon Chandrasuk, 61, applies coffee as paint to his latest artwork. Thotsaphon said that after his retirement, he turned to art, painting portraits, landscapes and cultural icons such as Ganesha and the deity Vessavana with watercolors and coffee, a technique that gives his works a unique depth and texture.
He describes the process as both meditative and enjoyable. He often sips his coffee while painting to enhance the emotional depth of the art through the sensory experience.
“Each painting tells a story,” he said, “bringing the subjects to life with a technique that is more sophisticated than watercolor.”
Thotsaphon Chandrasuk’s award-winning artwork depicts the serene and lush cityscape of Xiamen in Fujian Province, China. Thotsaphon’s passion for using coffee as a painting medium dates back to his professional training, where he learned the basics of natural pigments from materials such as wood bark, flowers and coffee. His renewed focus on coffee as a medium began during a trip to the countryside when he forgot his paints and improvised with coffee, reigniting his love for this unique medium.
As a member of the International Watercolor Society (IWS) in Thailand, Thotsaphon took part in the competition in Kosovo, initially with the aim of introducing his coffee-based artwork to a wider audience.
His work was awarded first prize out of 585 entries from over 300 countries. The subject of the painting, an elderly man smoking a pipe, enveloped in a warm, smoky atmosphere, demonstrates Thotsaphon’s skill in creating an atmospheric depth that embodies a delicate balance of light and shadow, breathing life into the figure.
Thotsaphon Chandrasuk’s experimentation with coffee has reignited his passion for this unique painting medium. 
Thotsaphone Chandrasuk’s coffee paintings are exhibited at the residence of renowned Thai watercolorist Udom Nilratsawan in Ratchaburi Province. Thotsaphone’s coffee paintings are exhibited at the residence of renowned Thai watercolorist Udom Nilratsawan in Ratchaburi, where students from Photharam Technical College are visiting to study his techniques. More than ten of his works are on display there, reflecting his journey through global competitions.
Among the visitors was Kunlalee Noppomrobdi, a deputy for the 1st district of Ratchaburi, who praised the province’s rich artistic heritage. She compared coffee painting to the traditional pottery of the region and expressed the hope that this art could be included in future cultural events. She even suggested the idea to the provincial tourism office, seeing coffee art as a small but effective way to expand Ratchaburi’s cultural reach.
For young people and students who want to learn coffee painting, Thotsaphon offers free lessons to pass on these skills as a foundation for further studies in the art. Students can inquire with him at 089-663787.
Thotsaphon Chandrasuk’s experimentation with coffee has reignited his passion for this unique painting medium. __________
The post Thai Artist Blends Coffee and Watercolors to International Acclaim appeared first on Khaosod English.
