Thai artist and writer (1904?1969)
Hem Vejakorn
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Born
| M.L. Hem Dinakara
(
1904-01-17
)
January 17, 1904
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Died
| April 16, 1969
(1969-04-16)
(aged 65)
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Known for
| Illustration
,
painting
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Spouse
| Chaemchuen Khomkham
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Hem Vejakorn
(
Thai
:
??? ?????
;
RTGS
:
Hem Wetchakon
; January 17, 1904,
Phra Nakhon
,
Bangkok
? April 16, 1969,
Thon Buri
, Bangkok) was a Thai
artist
and
writer
. He is best known for his
illustrations
for the covers of 10-
satang
pulp novels
, which have in turn influenced subsequent generations of Thai artists and
illustrators
, and also his
ghost
stories.
[1]
It is estimated that he produced more than 50,000 pieces of art, including pen and pencil
drawings
, watercolors, posters and oil paintings. He portrayed rural life,
Thai history
and figures from
Thai classical literature
. His works have been reproduced on Thai
postage stamps
[2]
and featured in art galleries.
Early life
[
edit
]
Hem was born in
Bangkok
. He lived with a
stepfamily
of half-sisters and half-brothers. At age 11, he took up residence with his uncle,
MR
Daeng Dinakara, an
architect
in charge of supervising the Italian artists and architects employed in the building of
Ananta Samakhom Throne Hall
. Hem was then acquainted with artist Carlo Rigoli, architect Mario Tamagno and engineer Emilio Giovanni Gollo. Hem found himself drawn to the work in the Throne Hall, and Rigoli, who was the interior designer, allowed him to carry the paint.
Rigoli invited Hem to study in Italy, but the young man could not take the offer. Later, Hem was enrolled at
Assumption College
,
Debsirin School
and
Poh Chang College
. He finished at none of those institutions. Authorities attributed his academic failure to a lack of parental care.
But Hem continued his artistic endeavors. He helped with the painting of another temple, Wat Raja Oros, he started writing and learned to play the
viola
. He worked for a while for the royal irrigation department in
Saraburi Province
and was a
steam engine
mechanic.
He later began work in a printing house and turned to painting and preparing illustrations that he sold to magazines.
Emerald Buddha temple renovation
[
edit
]
In 1930 Hem was selected as one of the artists to renovate the murals in
Wat Phra Kaew
(the
Emerald Buddha
temple) during Bangkok’s 150th anniversary celebrations. He was responsible for renovating murals in room 69, which depicts a scene from the
Ramayana
of Phra Rama killing Mangkorn Kan.
After the work was complete, Hem and some friends set up the Ploenchit publishing house, which printed a series of 10-
satang
graphic novels
between 1932 and 1935. Featuring illustrations by Hem, the novels were a hit and have since become collectors’ items.
In 1936, Hem opened his own publishing house called Hem Party, which published
Phae Kao
, written by Mai Muangderm and illustrated by Hem. Despite his success, Hem's business went broke, forcing the artist to seek work for the
Pramuan Wan
daily newspaper and the weekly journal
Pramuan Sarn
, both of which were owned by Prince
Bidyalongkorn
, who wrote under the pseudonym "Nor Mor Sor". Hem also illustrated such literary works as
Khun Chang Khun Phaen
and
Sri Thanonchai
.
Revered teacher
[
edit
]
During the
Second World War
, the artist worked for the
government
, producing
nationalistic
propaganda
illustrations for
textbooks
. When the war ended he went back to freelancing and wrote an illustrated series of
ghost
stories, which have inspired many Thai artists. Among students who sought him out was the
animator
and
cartoonist
Payut Ngaokrachang
, who studied with Hem via
correspondence
.
Among Hem's works is
An Introduction to Phra Aphai Mani
, a 1952 English-language book by Prem Chaya (Prince
Prem Purachatra
) and illustrated by Hem. It serves as an introduction to the epic poem by Thai writer
Sunthorn Phu
. His old student Payut would go on to create Thailand's first cel-animated feature film,
The Adventure of Sudsakorn
, based on Sunthorn Phu's work. Another famous Thai epic poem,
The Story of Khun Chang Khun Phaen
, was also translated by Prem Chaya and illustrated by Hem, in the 1950s.
[3]
A series of Hem's illustrations for the poem
Lilit Phra Lo
was published in 1963.
[4]
Much later, film director
Wisit Sasanatieng
paid tribute to Hem's ghost stories with his 2006 film,
The Unseeable
.
[5]
The Barom Khru Foundation, which claims to supervise Hem's works, issued a statement warning the film's producer
Five Star Production
not to violate the copyright of Hem's writing. The director countered that
The Unseeable
was not an
adaptation
but was generally inspired by Hem's style of writing and illustrations.
[6]
Before his death in 1969, Hem was engaged by King
Bhumibol Adulyadej
to create oil paintings that would be given as gifts to royal visitors.
References
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Pichayapat Naisupap. "Hem Vejakorn's Ghost Stories: A Social and Cultural History of Thailand, 1932-1970." MA Thesis, Chulalongkorn University, 2018.
- ^
Hem Vejakorn's painting postage stamps
, SiamStamp.com.
- ^
Baker, Chris; Phongpaichit, Pasuk (24 October 2016).
"Exhibition at the Jim Thompson Gallery"
.
Khun Chang Khun Phaen
. Retrieved
16 December
2021
.
- ^
Plueang na Nakhon; Hem Vejakorn (1963).
Phra lo phap vijit
[
Phra Lo illustrated
].
Bangkok
: Thai Wattanaphanit.
- ^
Rithdee, Kong (November 3, 2006).
"Vintage affair"
.
Bangkok Post
.
[
dead link
]
- ^
Rithdee, Kong (November 3, 2006).
"The carnival of souls"
.
Bangkok Post
.
[
dead link
]
External links
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]
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