There was a turmoil in Thailand, where Buddhist faith was hot, and protests rushed to the paintings of students who drew Buddha in an Ultraman style. Young people seeking freedom of expression are reluctant to cancel, and works are attracting attention, such as high prices at online auctions.
The paintings drawn by students from Nakhon Ratchasima Prefecture in the northeastern part were exhibited at a local commercial facility earlier this month. The style of Buddha wearing an Ultraman suit instead of a garment as a zazen pose and a pose has become a hot topic and has spread on the internet. Conservative politicians, etc., were criticized as “per punishment” and removed.
The governor and university executive who wants to extinguish a fire visit the high monk with students and apologize. According to the local newspaper, Bangkok Post, the student apologized with tears saying, "It is a picture of Ultraman on the Buddha that protects humanity from the bad guys." The governor instructed educational institutions in the prefecture to make strict selection of works before the exhibition.
On the other hand, artists stopped responding to the cancellation of the exhibition by picking up the ideas of young people. Pakong Ponchiwankun (38) from the same prefecture took over the work from a student and started an online auction on the 11th. As of the evening of the 11th, the bid price jumped to 465,000 baht (about 1.64 million yen). Pakong said he plans to donate the sales to a local hospital, “I want to show that young ideas lead to public interest.” (Bangkok = Makoto Norikyo)
