National Artist Ja Thawee dies at age 92
Thai sculpture lost a towering figure with the passing of Ja Thawee at 92. Recognised as a National Artist in 2023, his career spanned more than half a century of public service, craftsmanship and cultural stewardship.
Born in Phitsanulok in 1932, he inherited an artistic eye from his father, an art teacher and craftsman. After secondary school he worked as a painter across Bangkok and the provinces, a period that grounded his understanding of everyday visual culture.
In 1955 he enlisted in the Third Army Area, eventually rising to sergeant major after 23 years. The army sent him to the Fine Arts Department, where he trained under Silpa Bhirasri and other masters, acquiring the technical fluency in sculpture and metal casting that would define his later work.
His public commissions quickly earned acclaim, notably the imposing statue of King Naresuan the Great and the exquisitely proportioned Phra Buddha Chinnarat cast in the distinctive Phitsanulok style. In 1978 he left the military to devote himself fully to art, founding the Buranathai Buddha Casting Foundry, a workshop that bears his name and continues to produce sacred bronzes.
Beyond the studio, Ja Thawee Folk Museum emerged as Thailand’s first folk museum, preserving tools, household objects and the lived memory of rural communities. The Sergeant Major Thawee‑Pim Buranakhet Foundation extends his legacy through scholarships for disadvantaged students.
His contributions were honoured repeatedly: the 2017 National Artist award, the 2022 Silpachan distinction, honorary doctorates and the 2021 Siam Diamond for craftsmanship. The breadth of his work—spanning monumental sculpture, sacred casting, heritage preservation and education—cements his place as a cornerstone of contemporary Thai visual culture.