WE Smile Magazine June 2017

037
กฤษดาและหน้ากาก
หนุมานอันดุดัน
The name Gritsada Satjawatcharaphong (Grits FX) may not yet
be familiar to you, but it is very likely that you’ve seen and
appreciated his artwork before. While Gritsada’s creations have
yet to be displayed in the trendy galleries of Bangkok, having worked
on Hollywood films like The Life Aquatic, The Spiderwick Chronicles,
Coraline, War of the Worlds and Star Wars Episode III, Gritsada’s art
has already entertained people all over the world. Although his skills
as an artist and sculptor spans several genres, science fiction and
particularly horror are especially close to his heart.
When Gritsada was a child, he remembered picking up pieces
of forgotten clay to create monsters. It was a slow but effective way
to turn classmates into friends. A majority of his high school years
were spent in his native country of Thailand, where he practiced his
skills. Even then, his sights were set on bringing characters to life
through the magic of movie making.
Eventually he moved to California, where he began actively
seeking jobs in the field he loved. “It wasn’t an easy start. It took me
almost four years of honing my skills and building up a contact list of
people in the industry,” Eventually, one of those contacts paid off,
and he was called to do ‘The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou’ by Wes
Anderson. Years later, he got the job of his dreams—and perhaps the
dreams of anyone in the special effects field—when he became part
of the team to create sets on Star Wars Episode III. In the meantime,
he continued on his own creative path. His personal work remained
steeped in the theme of horror and monstrous creatures.
For the 5th Thailand Toy Expo, that took place this past May,
amongst the bloodied zombie masks and demon sculptures was a
very different figure. Made with a distinctive fierce expression was
the face of Hanuman, hero of the Ramayana. When asked about
the inspiration behind his mask, Gritsada did not intentionally want
to create something that would stand out, but he did want to pay
homage to Thailand. Remembering his younger days, he recalled
seeing Hanuman depicted on temple walls. After some research he
decided to create his own interpretation, while keeping Hanuman
recognisable. In many Thai temple depictions, the white monkey’s
head was shaped with a point, it could easily have been his hair or a
way to intensify his more primate-features, but a flash of inspiration
came to Gritsada. What if Hanuman had just defeated an evil demon,
and scalped it to create a menacing crown?
The latex mask was created with the highest standards
to remain durable yet detailed. Multiple layers of paint gives
Hanuman’s skin an ethereal yet organic look. Everything about the
mask was handmade and handpainted, from the strands of hair to
the pigments on his irises. Most importantly, it was created to the
criterias required for film production, meaning it was a functioning
mask that could be worn, not just displayed behind glass.
Yet, not everyone was so charmed by this Hanuman. A show’s
spectator was indignant and demanded to see the artist, asking how
someone could depict a revered god with such a look of terror. This
was never Gritsada’s intention, but it gave him the chance to explain
that this expression on the sacred Hanuman was not blind malice.
He wanted to depict the ancient god at his most powerful moment,
when he defeats evil and saves the princess. The spectator was pleased
with this answer, having been shown a favourable perspective.
Perhaps, this is what we should take away from Gritsada’s
horror creations. Before we judge the grotesque, the divergent and
the frightening as something merely created to be despised, we
should consider a different side to the story. One man’s monster is
another’s protector.
See more of Gritsada Satjawatcharaphong (Grits FX) on his
facebook page at: Grits Gritsfx Sada