Name: Kaew

Sex: Male

Born: 1999

Origin: Kaew was born at The Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang, Thailand.

Nature: Kaew is an intelligent elephant and not at all naughty. He doesn’t like chickens and is frightened by them. That sounds funny we know, but the fact is that elephants don’t like small things that run fast. Rather like humans being scared of bugs really.

Special Story: Kaew is also a polo player and at an event in the coastal resort of Hua Hin, it was discovered that he loves to play to the gallery. So much so that he would go up to the photographers unaided and proceed to pose, sit and perform for them without his mahout’s commands.

Artistic Talents: Kaew’s style has developed and matured over the years and is distinctive and quite unusual. He has the ability to paint in sweeping arcs, almost closing in loops (very rare) and he has perfect spatial awareness. In 2006 we wrote: “This is an artist to watch out for as his style continues to develop”. By early 2010 Kaew finally became our top selling artist, with the most consistently perfect and highest value paintings. We expect his art to appreciate in value as his work becomes better known and is added to more collections around the world.

Mahout: Kaew’s mahout shown in the photograph was Sombat Pinjai, who was born in October 1984. Sombat had the good fortune to have been Kaew’s mahout since Kaew was born. Sombat was only 14 year’s old at that time and they grew up together. Sadly Sombat passed away not long after this painting was produced and Kaew no longer produces paintings.