Silpakorn University once again turns to NAT for sculpture models

For the second time, the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking at Silpakorn University has invited Naturist Association Thailand Co., Ltd. to provide nude models for its sculpture examinations.

The collaboration reflects the university’s confidence in NAT’s ability to provide reliable models representing ordinary men and women rather than idealised fashion models.

Two male NAT members will begin their sittings on 14 and 15 July, followed by several repeat sessions over the coming weeks as students gradually complete their sculptures.

Explaining why NAT is honored to support the project, NAT co-founder Gregers Moller said the collaboration also provides an opportunity for NAT to communicate to the future artists one of naturism’s core values.

“Only a minority of human bodies look like the supermodel ideal that advertising agencies would like us to believe. Normal people have normal bodies, and we should not be led to believe that we don’t look good simply because we don’t resemble the artificial image of the ‘ideal’ man or woman.

“Naturism is about learning to be genuinely happy with the body you have – not just body acceptance or self-acceptance – but happiness with who you actually are and how we naturally look as human beings.”

The previous collaboration took place in September 2023, when NAT provided two male and two female models for the sculpture examinations.

After the sessions, Ajarn Noppadon of Silpakorn University expressed his appreciation for NAT’s continued support of the students’ education.

“Thank you to Greg, Koy and the other members who have kindly participated and will continue to be models for the students of the Sculpture Department, Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Printmaking, Silpakorn University.”

During the sculpting examinations, students first demonstrated that they could construct a steel armature approximately three-quarters life size before gradually building the figure in clay, carefully reproducing the model’s anatomy and proportions over several weeks.

That collaboration also resulted in an additional learning opportunity. After the examinations, NAT founder Disraporn Yatprom asked whether one of the sculptures of her could be cast in gypsum. The students therefore continued the project by creating a resin master from the clay sculpture, producing a mould and finally casting the finished sculpture in plaster.

The completed sculpture is today displayed at Barefeet Naturist Resort in Bangkok as a lasting reminder of the cooperation between Thailand’s leading art university and Naturist Association Thailand Co., Ltd.

For NAT, the project demonstrates that naturism has an important role beyond recreation. By helping future artists study the human form through ordinary, unretouched bodies, NAT hopes to encourage a healthier and more realistic appreciation of the diversity of the human body.