Father’s Path — Ekachai Luadsoongnern

Father’s Path — Ekachai Luadsoongnern
Acrylic on canvas — Museum of Contemporary Art, Bangkok

Ekachai Luadsoongnern (born 1961, Khon Kaen) is a Thai painter associated with Silpakorn University — the institution founded by Professor Silpa Bhirasri, the father of modern Thai art. His works focus on light, nature, and quiet everyday moments. These are paintings that don’t try to dominate — they simply offer a moment of calm.

“The artist created this work as an expression of gratitude toward Thai monarchs, who for generations guided the nation like caring fathers. The inspiration came from Phra Chuthathut Palace on Si Chang Island — the summer residence of King Rama V. On the left side of the painting lies the sea, symbolizing royal grace and progress. On the right stand Lantom trees (the word means ‘worship’ in ancient Khmer), symbolizing respect and responsibility. Their twisted trunks reflect hardship, while their pale blossoms represent goodness passed down from generation to generation.”

In the gallery, a wooden bench carved with tiny mushrooms stood directly in front of the painting.
It immediately reminded me of the Japanese film At the Bench (2024) — a story where a single bench becomes a quiet witness to human conversations, emotions, and choices.

Here, it felt the same — the bench was part of the story.

You can sit on it and look at the path taken by those who came before us — the ones whose decisions allow us to rest in the shade of trees, feel the cool breeze from the sea, and simply exist.
I stayed there for a while. This painting brought me peace — and a quiet sense of gratitude for everything I have today because of the choices made long before me.

It also made me think of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew — a leader who, through difficult and sometimes painful decisions, separated the country from Malaysia and built a foundation that gave millions of people (including me) security, opportunity, and stability.

And then I thought about Poland — a country scarred by wars for generations, now slowly becoming more open, more welcoming, more proud. During the Independence March, I saw people of different skin colors walking side by side — without division, simply as Poles. It was beautiful to witness how cities evolve, how nations evolve, and how maybe, just maybe, we are becoming a country we can be proud of.

Sitting on that bench, looking at the painting, I also felt a quiet peace about my own path — and the decisions I’ve made. As if this painted road was reminding me that sometimes you need to choose the harder direction to breathe more freely later on.

And you? What do you see when you look at this road?