Participated Thai Youth Contemporary Art at Baandam Museum, Chiang Rai, Thailand

Art Exhibition Show at The Queen’s Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand

September 6 –25, 2011

About Baandam Museum, Chiang Rai, Thailand

The Baan Dam Museum (also known as the Chiang Rai Black Temple or Black House Museum) is a museum and gallery that was home to the renowned Thai artist, Thawan Duchanee.

The attraction isn’t actually a temple per se, but a collection of around 40 buildings on a large property that showcase the skill of this artist. In Thai, “baan” means “home” or “house” and “dam” means “black”, hence the name.

Chiang Rai Black Temple / Baan Dam Museum

Thawan Duchanee was a Thai artist who was born in Chiang Rai and studied art in Bangkok and then abroad in Amsterdam. His work remains controversial in Thailand, with many locals referring to the famous White Temple as ‘heaven’ whilst the Black Temple is referred to as ‘Hell’. The artist spent over 50 years building this museum of art. Of the 40 houses created around the property, they are made of wood, glass, concrete, bricks and terracotta with various unique styles incorporated in their design.

Visitors are welcome to come into the gardens and take a stroll around the many buildings located on-site here. Some buildings cannot be entered, as the artist kept his bedroom and house private, but there are plenty of opportunities to enter some of the most impressive buildings and take a peek at their unique architecture. You will be able to view Thawan’s collection of paintings, sculptures, animal bones, skins, horns, silver, gold and other unique items which are placed around the property.