dressy dresses

Working in the style of old Siam, Chanikan Rujanawate explores elephant feelings. A male with long white tusks strides into a dark brown space that represents sadness. The female, in her blue environment, is happy. "I want to show that elephants have emotions, the same as humans do," she says.

Glowing color conjures an exquisite scene of lotus blossoms that grow by moonlight. Illustrating Buddhist doctrine, Noppadon Kamkong adds gilded details on a set of three canvases. In Thailand, the lotus is more than simply a flower, as it is utilized in worshipping Buddha and realizing positive activities. The lotus is Buddha's preferred offering.

For this painting, Thai artist Det reflects on elephants' unique way of showing happiness. Instead of smiling as people do, they open their mouths wide and sing with their voice. Det paints the realistic image of an elephant in black and white, silhouetted against a gleaming sun in gold foil. A stark red background completes this striking vertical composition.

This intriguing and atmospheric acrylic on canvas painting is by Thai artist Rawat Vongla. The artist recreates an ancient Greco-Buddhist statue in hazy shades of rose, green and brown. The statue was one of the first representations of Buddha (1st - 2nd century AD), and was excavated at Gandhara, Pakistan. Such early Hellenistic interpretations, such as the figure's draped, toga-like garment, point to the Greek influence on depictions of the Buddha from that point onward.

Working in black ink and acrylic paints on canvas in an illustrative style, Rawat Vongla renders a richly-detailed scene featuring Buddha and a lotus flower. In Buddhism, the four stages of the lotus blossom represent four types of people and their distance from enlightenment. The lotus rising up above the water will readily bloom and achieve enlightenment; while the budding blossom at the water's surface needs further knowledge and understanding to do so. The under-water lotus will eventually attain enlightenment, after extensive time and training; but the mud-buried lotus, representing a dull mind, laziness and selfishness, may never achieve enlightenment at all.

A vivid color palette and use of pointillist techniques make this painting from Rawat Vongla in Thailand a standout. The artist works in acrylic on canvas to depict a lotus flower standing tall above the water. In Buddhism, the four stages of the lotus blossom represent four types of people and their distance from enlightenment. The lotus rising up above the water will readily bloom and achieve enlightenment; while the budding blossom at the water's surface needs further knowledge and understanding to do so. The under-water lotus will eventually attain enlightenment, after extensive time and training; but the mud-buried lotus, representing a dull mind, laziness and selfishness, may never achieve enlightenment at all.