Artists create a gory message

Over 45,000 cubic centimetres of blood drawn from red-shirt protesters were used yesterday by artists to paint 70 metres of canvas with expressions of the red shirts' spirit and resolve to oust Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and call on him to dissolve the House."I want everyone to know how people power is important for us," said Akarapol Ngern-Nei, a 15-year-old student from the Victory Monument area of Bangkok, one of the 40 independent painters.Click here to find out more!"Abhisit must return power to the people so they can have something to eat," he added as he painted while trying to avoid the smell of blood.
His pictures showed hundreds of demonstrators surrounding Democracy Monument at Rajdamnoen Road.
Seven blank cloth canvases, each 10 metres long, were laid down on the second floor of Pom Maha Khan near Phan Fa bridge, the main protest site.
Mai-Neung Kor Khuntee, an independent artist who led the group, said all the pictures would be wrapped around Pom Maha Khan as a symbol to tell the world about their political struggle.The artist will also mix some blood with cement to build four city pillars and sculpt an image of Nuamthong Paiwan, a taxi driver who used his own cab to ram a tank in a show of defiance against the military coup in 2006.His statue will be set up in front of Privy Council President Prem Tinsulanonda's Si Sao Tewes residence.
The rest of the blood will be mixed with resin for headbands as souvenirs for protesters.
Akarapol said people had donated their blood as a sacrifice for their beloved country, just like their ancestors had sacrificed their lives to save Thailand from invaders in the past.The young artist said he learned painting at his school in the Min Buri district of Bangkok.
He wanted to show his political inspiration through the pictures of thousands of red-shirt protesters and the Democracy Monument.
He said he would display his artwork to foreign reporters so people around the world could understand the political situation in Thailand.
He has visited and joined the rally at Phan Fa bridge every day since March 12, coming during the day with his friends.He also volunteered for the blood collection campaign last Tuesday and used his blood to splatter Government House and other places.
Next to Akarapol, a 40-year-old Bangkok resident known as Boy had drawn a picture of a gun and two hands fouled with drops of blood.The gun, drawn in blood, means violence and the two hands are those of the government that had hurt people,he said.Vichak Srithai, 49, an independent artist from Ubon Ratchatani, used a cloth canvas to paint a Buddha image with candle wax soaked with blood."When the blood dries, the image of Buddha will be shown," he said.His contemporary artwork signifies the power of drama, which will bring justice to the people, he said.At midday, the red shirts were few as the temperature was rising to 40 degrees Celsius, but in the evening thousands of protesters gathered again at Phan Fa Bridge.