ARTIST STATEMENT
In “Cathedral of Light”, Noppanan Thannaree expresses his reverence for light in paintings that capture the unique qualities of natural light, which has provided value, as a vital catalyst of life, and meaning, as a symbol of the connection between humans and nature, to civilizations since antiquity. Light is sacred to Noppanan, whose transposition of its beauty into art is scaffolded on an exploration of the indivisibility of humanity and nature, as well as the relationship between the real and the abstract.
During an artist residency in New South Wales, Australia, Noppanan observed the metamorphosis of light as it danced across the majestic wilderness of Wollemi National Park over the course of each day. There, the light possessed qualities he had not seen anywhere else and illuminated our profound connection to nature, becoming sacred to him from then on.
From the light of foreign lands, an awakening of rapturous memories: the glow of candles and lanterns lit with his mother and grandmother on the eve of the full moon during the Yi Peng festival, a Lanna tradition; candles lit in offering to Phra Ratanatrai (The Triple Gem of Buddhism), or the spirits of his ancestors, or resident spirits of the land and sacred objects; and simply, light seeping through a canopy of leaves and into the shade underneath in different places.
