100th Day of Chiang Rai’s Thawan Duchanee Death Marked by Religious Ceremony

CHIANGRAI TIMES 
His pictures initially shocked many people as being blasphemous to the Buddhist religion
and some of his early exhibitions were attacked. But many leading Thai intellectuals
supported his work. Kukrit Pramoj for one claimed “his art is to be understood as giving life to myth.”
TAIWAN---A Religious ceremony to observe the 100th day anniversary of the death of national artist Thawan Duchanee has taken place at Tawan’s residence and museum in Chiang Rai. Hundreds of people joined by artists, arts students from 18 districts throughout Chiang Rai, local people and Buddhist monks. Presiding over the rites was the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Apinan Poshyananda. Tawan’s relics were paraded by his admirers and were installed in the wood castle in his residential compound by his son Doytibet Duchanee. High-ranking Buddhist monks of Chiang Rai performed the religious service for the late national artist. [link]

Thawan Duchanee died of hepatitis on September 3, 2014 at the age of 74.