It is with deep sadness that we announce the passing of Be Takerng Pattanopas, who passed away on 24 December at the age of 60.
Be Takerng Pattanopas was born in 1965 in Trang, Thailand. He earned his PhD in Sculpture from the School of Fine Arts, Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, Gloucestershire, England. He also served as a lecturer in the Communication Design Program at the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, until his retirement in October of this year.
His practice emerged from twin obsessions with space within and space without. His drawings, installations, paintings, and sculptures explored the interior of the human body as a symbolic extension of the infinity of the cosmos—an inquiry that resonates deeply with the spirit of our time, as the world appears simultaneously smaller and more expansive than ever.
He lived with complex health conditions involving benign tumours in the adrenal and pituitary glands. These experiences informed his work through hybrid forms that engage with notions of voids, microscopic invasions of the body, as well as tunnels and monoliths. The latter motif was inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, based on the science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. His works were meticulously orchestrated to create experiences that remain deliberately ambiguous, with meanings perpetually in flux.
Be Takerng Pattanopas leaves behind a significant artistic and pedagogical legacy. His work endures as a thoughtful exploration of the human body, space, and the cosmos, and his influence will continue to shape future generations of artists and thinkers. We remember him with deep respect and gratitude.
Be Takerng Pattanopas was born in 1965 in Trang, Thailand. He earned his PhD in Sculpture from the School of Fine Arts, Cheltenham & Gloucester College of Higher Education, Gloucestershire, England. He also served as a lecturer in the Communication Design Program at the Faculty of Architecture, Chulalongkorn University, until his retirement in October of this year.
His practice emerged from twin obsessions with space within and space without. His drawings, installations, paintings, and sculptures explored the interior of the human body as a symbolic extension of the infinity of the cosmos—an inquiry that resonates deeply with the spirit of our time, as the world appears simultaneously smaller and more expansive than ever.
He lived with complex health conditions involving benign tumours in the adrenal and pituitary glands. These experiences informed his work through hybrid forms that engage with notions of voids, microscopic invasions of the body, as well as tunnels and monoliths. The latter motif was inspired by Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, based on the science fiction novel by Arthur C. Clarke. His works were meticulously orchestrated to create experiences that remain deliberately ambiguous, with meanings perpetually in flux.
Be Takerng Pattanopas leaves behind a significant artistic and pedagogical legacy. His work endures as a thoughtful exploration of the human body, space, and the cosmos, and his influence will continue to shape future generations of artists and thinkers. We remember him with deep respect and gratitude.
December 25, 2025
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