First published: Spring 2025
The work of Thai artist La Inthonkaew not only taps into the spiritual beliefs of her homeland, but also her own extraordinary life experiences and beyond
La Inthonkaew was born in 1980, or maybe 1981, in a small village bordering the jungle in central Thailand, where life was governed by traditional beliefs and rituals. The village was connected to the outside world by just one dirt road, and there was no electricity. As is typical throughout South-East Asia, the population was a patchwork of different ethnicities; Inthonkaew is Thai, but some of her ancestors came from Burma, Laos and China, and she says she sometimes feels more Lao than Thai. Her father was a local shaman, and Inthonkaew believes that he could transform into a tiger while in a shamanic trance. Her uncle – also a “weretiger” – was a locally venerated Buddhist monk, famous for his miraculous powers and, most notably, the production of amulets believed to make their bearers bulletproof. The women in her family were midwives, and her grandmother had prophetic visions based on the then-strong millenarist moods in Thai society.
Untitled (Coronavirus Sheela), 2020, 8.5 x 11.5 in. / 21 x 29.5 cm; courtesy: Ondřej Sekanina
Inthonkaew’s father died when she was seven years old and, on his deathbed, chose her – out of several siblings – to be his shamanic heir. The villagers already considered Inthonkaew to be special and, from a young age, she was the one they had carried around on a litter and sprinkled with water during the traditional rain-making ceremony hae nang mew (lady cat parade).
Untitled (Roller Blade), 2021, 23.5 x 16.5 in. / 59.5 x 42 cm; courtesy: Ondřej Sekanina
She attended the local primary school for four years, travelling from the family farm to the centre of the village on the back of her favourite water buffalo. However, Inthonkaew found lessons boring and would often escape out of a classroom window. She made art from an early age, on any scraps of paper that she could find, using paints that she made herself using mud and flowers.
Untitled (Two Harlequins), 2021, 16.5 x 23.5 in. / 42 x 59.5 cm; courtesy: Ondřej Sekanina
By ONDŘEJ SEKANINA
This is an article extract; read the full article in Raw Vision #122.
