Art in different Cultures

This weekend was eventful, and although i went to Klong Toey, the largest slum area of Bangkok, that was not the event that left an impact. I got to teach for what will be the last time while I'm here in Thailand, bittersweet in a way. The kids are getting going on their summer break come April. As we were having our nap time in between sessions, the girls and i were having a discussion on how creativity and originality when it comes to art are different here in comparison to home. Every time you walk into a gallery off the street, in any part of Thailand, you see the exact same paintings, and it's always paintings, some photography. There are the images of the Buddha, the chakravartin wheel, and Buddhist related imagery, bedecked in gold leaf, brown tones, and intricate in small details. Then there are the eyes only of middle eastern women showing through the closely hugged bur-qua. And then the more intriguing paintings done with a palatte knife of typical Thai life. It basically is a culture in which art becomes an income, a way of life that is only tolerated and practiced because of the meager income it can make. However it seems to be solely a manufactured practice. I'm curious that if i were to practice art therapy in an asian country would it be perceived as valid, would it even be practiced? And strangely enough that evening i attended a workshop on color therapy. Although the therapist was not Thai, he was Asain, but certainly had western education. I personally had a very filling experience at this workshop, that is for another time. However my Thai friend Racha came with me and was the one who invited me to go. I believe her being Buddhist has a lot of impact on how she viewed the evening. She was interested but said she didn't seem to get as much out of it as the rest of us seemed to. Her perspective being she is happy now and why would i go back in my past to dig up something that may make me unhappy in the present. I see where she is coming from as a valid perspective. And it made me think how we have cultural stereotypes, and yet many times the individual holds an opinion different from that of the collective; which is something i feel is often neglected.