BANGKOK — For the first time, the public is invited to tour the historic mansion where some of Thailand’s best-known sculptures and monuments were conceived.
Built in the Victorian and Renaissance Revival style, the century-old residence was for a decade home to renowned sculptor Silpa Bhirasri, born in Italy as Corrado Feroci, in an area that once belonged to King Rama V.
Registered as a historic site, the two-story home is now open for the public to tour three rooms filled with Silpa’s works and housewares of the period.
To dig deep into Silpa’s crafts and inspirations, explore the exhibition at the Silpa Bhirasri National Museum located inside the Department of Fine Arts at Silpakorn University’s Tha Prachan campus. It’s open 9am to 4pm, Monday through Friday.
Silpa Bhirasri was an Italian-born sculptor and one of few foreigners whose cultural contributions are widely celebrated. He helped make a number of grandiose sculptures harkening to the European Fascist art movement at the time, including the Democracy Monument, Lumphini Park’s King Rama VI monument, the Victory Monument and more. He became a Thai citizen during the Japanese Imperial occupation and through his dedication to education, became known as the father of modern Thai art. In 1943, he founded the fine arts school that would eventually bear his adopted name, Silpakorn University.
Admission is free. Polite attire is required.
The house is open 9am to 3pm on Wednesdays at the Army Internal Audit Office on Rajvithi Road. The nearest rail stop is BTS Victory Monument.
