The Owners

Since childhood, Sunti Pichetchaiyakul displayed an incredible capacity to implement something spiritual in his artwork. This was not unexpected of Sunti, however. He was recognized in his village in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand as the boy with the birthmark of the third eye on his forehead. Others identified Sunti as the boy whose mother had undergone surgery to prevent childbirth only four years before he was born. Thus, a spiritual gift was considered only natural from the boy with a miracle birth. Inescapably, Sunti’s greatest challenge in Thailand was not proving his remarkable artistic ability, but rather penetrating the cultural barricades that disregarded young talent.

While still undiscovered in his home country, Sunti met his American wife, Erica during her travels through Asia. With a background in counseling psychology, Erica’s first taste of extreme poverty in Cambodia, Myanmar, and in parts of Thailand ignited a human obligation in Erica to contend with issues such as domestic violence, human trafficking, and child abuse in South Asia. And, after meeting Sunti in Prachinburi, Thailand, Erica was not only determined to share Sunti’s unacknowledged gift with the world, but she also felt that by combining both of their talents – art, spirituality, and social work, they could bring more value and meaning to art in a way that could potentially benefit underprivileged communities. Indeed, art not only raises awareness, explores universal communication and generates revenue for social causes, but art is also naturally therapeutic and can serve as employment in poor villages.

Sunti and Erica married in 2008 and relocated to the Flathead Valley, Montana, where Erica’s parents had recently moved to from Connecticut. They were not only enthralled with the natural beauty of the state, but they also treasured Montana for its kind and friendly people. As well, Sunti experienced an immediate connection with Native American tribes upon discovering the many cultural similarities they share with Native Thais. In fact, Sunti found Native American culture unexpectedly familiar, from the parallels in their animistic beliefs and their regard for nature, to their social structure, handicrafts, and even physical resemblance. Thus was born Sunti’s bronze “Legends of the Americas” collection, commemorating historical Native American heroes.

With an array of awards from North America for sculptures that not only look real, but also emanate a “presence” that brings his artwork to life, Sunti was soon accepted as the finest sculptor in Thailand. Of course, for the boy with a miracle birth, becoming the “Sculptor of the Spirit” was merely destiny.

Today, Sunti and Erica are currently working with a team of experts in archaeology, anthropology, art history, and Buddhist studies to guide Sunti as he sculpts the most realistic and historically accurate rendering of the Buddha ever known. They plan to create a monument from Sunti’s Buddha sculpture in Thailand, which will serve as an establishment for contending with social issues through art therapy and the Buddha’s Noble Eightfold Path.