Thai, Foreign Painters Bring Street Art to Satun (Photos)

SATUN — A group of artists on Wednesday turned the streets of Satun’s historic downtown into a massive art gallery that depicts local prides and multicultural coexistence.

Artworks drawn, painted, or sprayed by more than 60 volunteers include pictures of a fishing boat, a southern-styled kite, a Chinese opera singer, and a Muslim woman wearing the hijab. Organizers hope the project will revitalize tourism to Satun’s town center, which is renown for a cluster of Sino-Portuguese buildings.

Among the artists is Italian painter Mauro Corbani, who was responsible for creating the image of Waw Kwai, a traditional type of kite used in the south. Corbani said he picked the kite to symbolize the town of Satun because it is a source of pride for many locals.

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Architecture professor Akkapong Khongchang supervised the painting of a Chinese opera singer on the side of a building close to a Thai-Chinese shrine, using the bright colors of red and gold.

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Akkapong, who teaches at Rajamangala University of Technology Srivijaya, said he wanted to depict the intertwined cultures of Thai, Buddhist, Muslim, and Chinese influences in Satun’s history.

The project ran from Feb. 15 to Feb. 19, and involved painting at 11 spots around Satun’s town center.