If a painting is created mainly to match a luxurious interior rather than to express something deeply personal or challenge ideas, then it leans more toward decorative art, even if it’s technically a painting. It becomes part of the decor rather than a standalone statement.
That raises an interesting question—does the intent of the artist or the way the artwork is used define whether it’s fine art or decorative art? If someone paints with raw emotion and meaning but it ends up as a luxury wall piece, does that change what it is?
Especially with modern abstract painting—it’s everywhere in high-end homes, hotels, and corporate spaces. A lot of it seems designed to be aesthetically pleasing but not too thought-provoking, so it blends into the environment rather than demanding attention. It feels like abstraction has been commercialized into a luxury good rather than a form of deep expression, at least in many cases.
Of course, that doesn’t mean all abstract art today is purely decorative. There are still artists pushing boundaries and using abstraction in meaningful ways. But a lot of what sells seems to be more about fitting a vibe than saying something.
There’s lots of ways to be, as a person. And some people express their deep appreciation in different ways. But one of the ways that I believe people express their appreciation to the rest of humanity is to make something wonderful and put it out there.
And you never meet the people. You never shake their hands. You never hear their story or tell yours. But somehow, in the act of making something with a great deal of care and love, something’s transmitted there. And it’s a way of expressing to the rest of our species our deep appreciation. So we need to be true to who we are and remember what’s really important to us.
“Art has been valued and given importance through the artist, regarded as the one who creates something wondrous and beautiful. At a certain point, artists within that way of thinking often distance themselves more and more from the community and society. In Thai education, this system of teaching and learning art is still being used.”
“When art is no longer the center of the universe, then artists are not either. This has been a question asked of artists since the time of Walter Benjamin. He spoke about this long ago, and it has been written about for a long time.
“In the modernist view, the artist was seen as something close to a superhuman — exalted as someone with supreme specialness, with an intuition that could not be explained. When the artist was elevated above us, above the university guard or the noodle vendor next door, the artist became like a kind of demi-god, regarded as more special than anyone else.
“In fact, in contemporary thought, the artist is like a motorcycle taxi driver — it’s just another profession. We work within a framework of knowledge that is not some kind of miracle. And art itself depends on other bodies of knowledge.”
Jiradej Meemalai Co-founder of ‘Baan Noorg Collaborative Arts & Culture’
“เมื่อศิลปะไม่เป็นศูนย์กลางจักรวาล ศิลปินก็จะไม่เป็นด้วย ซึ่งศิลปินเคยถูกตั้งคำถามนี้มาตั้งแต่สมัย Benjamin Walter เขาพูดเรื่องนี้มานานแล้ว หนังสือก็เขียนมานานแล้ว
“Why escape your intended purpose by copying and trying to be someone else? You will discover who you were meant to be only after you have shown confidence being yourself.”
