Kwanjit and Suriya Lertsiri

ART RESTORERS AND CONSERVATORS

Industry : The Arts

This husband and wife team are among a handful of much sought after art restorers in Thailand. The pair first crossed paths while studying fine arts, with Kwanjit focusing on traditional Thai art. During her studies, she was captivated by the beauty of the art in Wat Suthat but also noticed that the framed paintings were in a state of disrepair. Recognizing that this required the expertise of an art restorer, not just an artist, she found her calling. Kwanjit passed the exam for a position in the Conservation Science Division of the Department of Fine Arts, where she dedicated almost 30 years of her career. There, she learned that restoring a painting was not solely about applying artistic skills but required scientific knowledge of factors such as the chemical properties of paints and the reactions caused by the environment. Art restoration, she discovered, was a matter of analysis and diagnosis, akin to a doctor treating a patient. Suriya, her husband, contributes inventive skills by devising specific tools needed for different restoration projects.