“I have to thank my brother and sisters who supported me and made it possible for me to get into the world of art and do what I love. My parents were able to put us all through higher education but they saw no future in my studying art as they could not see how it could provide the means of my support.

Innop Wonga Nut © Ezistock Co., Ltd.

“It was fortunate that my father was a government official as he became sick when I was around three years old and had to resign. He passed away when I was 16, leaving my mother the task of raising six children, of which I was the youngest.

“My mother had to do all kinds of agricultural work to feed us so it was fortunate that my brothers and sisters could get free schooling because my father worked for the government. One became a lawyer, another a policemen (sadly, he died in 2006) and the others dropped out of higher education to engage in business. It was only with their support that I was able to study art.

Acrylic on canvas, ‘The Way of Serenity’ © Innop Wonga Nut

“My name is Innop Wonga-Nut; my nickname is Nop. I was born in 1975, the youngest of my parent’s six children, and grew up in a village in Yasothon Province. As a boy, I loved village life. I was happy exploring my surroundings, absorbing its beauty and appreciating the tranquil pace of rural life.

“Buddhism played a major roll. I would watch my parents involving themselves in activities at the temple and would go with them when they went to rituals and ceremonies. I would always enjoy playing in the temple compound if I wasn’t participating in the rituals.

Acrylic on canvas, ‘Serenity’ © Innop Wonga Nut

“When I was young, I always enjoyed painting and drawing and got good grades for this in school. When I was 10 years old I made a wooden house sign showing the number 20 and painted a few buffaloes in a rice field on it. During a recent visit to my home, I found it again; it took me right back to my childhood.

“After finishing high school, I went to Bangkok stay with one of my brothers who took care of me and paid for me to study art. He also had a passion for art but didn’t have the chance to take it further. During visits to my home, my mother and relatives would tease me about studying art. They couldn’t see how I could support myself with it.

Acrylic on canvas, ‘Flowers field’ © Innop Wonga Nut

“After three years at Phochang Art College in Bangkok, I worked as an art teacher in a private school for a year and a half but I didn’t really like it and quit.

“When one of my friends studying fine arts at Chiang Mai University invited me to work with him on an art related project in Chiang Mai, I fell in love with the city and never wanted to leave. Enrolling to study for a bachelor’s degree in art at the Chiang Mai Institute of Technology was one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned much about art, made many new friends and was immersed in an environment that I have loved ever since.

Acrylic on canvas, ‘Serenity and Warmth’ © Innop Wonga Nut

“After graduation, I got a job with a few other friends painting murals in a temple in Nan province. We spent four months in that temple and were happy that we successfully completed our first job. Since then I have focused on my creative work and have shown it at a number of exhibitions.

“I live according to Buddhist principles, which help us leads lives filled with happiness. Remaining calm helps keep my mind clear so that I can be creative in my art works. My success is that I can do what I love. Thank you to everyone who browses my work. I hope it can give you feelings of happiness too.”

Acrylic on canvas, ‘Loy Krathong’ © Innop Wonga Nut

Browse Innop’s paintings.

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Text and image ‘Innop Wonga-Nut’ by EZISTOCK © Ezistock Co., Ltd., 2012 – All Rights Reserved.
Other images by Innop Wonga-Nut © Innop Wonga-Nut – All Rights Reserved.
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