When Phaptawan Suwannakudt came to Sydney in 1996 she was eager to paint a mural. Back in Thailand, as the daughter of a leading Buddhist mural painter, she led a renowned team of painters. But the Buddhist centres of Sydney often occupied rented premises, and Phaptawan found her way blocked.
Determined to ‘make do with whatever surface was available’, Phaptawan purchased stretchers and canvas – materials new to her – and began this six-panel painting of ‘the lives of the Buddha’. The stories come from the Jataka tales from the 4th century BCE, some of the earliest Buddhist writings. Set in mythical kingdoms and forests, they advance virtues such as courage and patience which must be perfected to reach Buddhahood.