A French artist has strongly criticized a Bangkok hotel for censoring her public artwork, alleging that nude figures in her commissioned mural were painted over without her knowledge or consent. Myrtille Tibayrenc, who works professionally under the name Mimi, told reporters that she was officially commissioned by the French embassy to create the mural for the Rose Hotel near the Soi Patpong area as part of a city beautification project.
The controversial mural featured androgynous nude figures surrounded by floral and bird motifs, created as part of the Krung Thep Creative Streets program. The artwork was designed to beautify a wall located near Silom Road, Bangkok's oldest and most well-known red-light district, famous for its go-go bars, night markets, and adult entertainment venues that have attracted international tourists for decades.
Tibayrenc explained that she worked closely with Navamintr Vitayakul, one of the hotel's owners, throughout the design process to ensure approval before beginning the project. However, complications arose on the first day of painting when the hotel manager expressed concerns about the nudity due to the proximity of a nearby temple and school. "I told him I could not change my project at the last minute," Tibayrenc said, emphasizing that the figures were tasteful and contained no explicit depictions of genitalia. She eventually agreed to cover the lower portion of one reclining figure with leaves as a compromise.
The artist discovered the unauthorized alterations through a friend several days later, learning that the nude figures had been completely painted over. "I was really shocked because nobody had told me anything about it," Tibayrenc stated. She later took to Facebook to express her outrage, calling the decision hypocritical given the mural's location so close to Bangkok's famous red-light district.
Vitayakul confirmed to media outlets that the mural was completed and officially unveiled during the Krung Thep Creative Streets weekend event in September. The unveiling ceremony was attended by numerous visitors, including the French ambassador, and the artwork remained intact at that time. "Everything was intact, the full murals were there, everyone was fine with it," he explained. "Then, in the following week, Mimi sent me a private message. I was flabbergasted. I found out my brother had done this while I was abroad."
The hotel owner revealed that while the property is co-owned by several family members, the decision to paint over the nude figures was made solely by his brother, known as Khun Tay, without consulting other stakeholders. "He decided to do it while I was traveling," Vitayakul claimed. "There had been no complaints from the temple, the school or anyone else in the community. It was his personal decision, based on his own feelings about the imagery."
Vitayakul described the original artwork as "a figurative scene loosely evoking the Garden of Eden, with a reclining woman and a man holding a snake." He stated that he found nothing erotic or indecent about the piece, comparing it to contemporary paintings that are open to interpretation. However, he acknowledged that his brother disagreed and "didn't want it to be part of the hotel."
The incident gained widespread attention after Tibayrenc's Facebook post, prompting responses from local authorities. The Bang Rak District Office initially denied any involvement from the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration, stating that it has no policy to censor artwork and describing the situation as "a misunderstanding and miscommunication between the artist and the venue owner." The agency claimed the hotel had made adjustments to make the artwork "suitable for the hotel's context and the surrounding community."
However, the district office's statement was later deleted following public criticism, particularly after social media users pointed out that Tibayrenc had never been notified of the changes. The artist confirmed she had only received a message from the hotel manager asking for her email address, claiming someone wanted to contact her, but she never received any direct correspondence about the alterations.
The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration later claimed that Khun Tay had requested edits to help the artwork "blend in with the original" but that Tibayrenc had refused. "They lied about the fact Khun Tay contacted me. We have never spoken or met," the artist responded, adding that she had been unaware of his existence before the incident.
Vitayakul argued that the act should not be considered censorship but rather a matter of personal taste. "Censorship would mean covering certain parts with black paint or bars," he explained. "Painting over the whole thing is more than censorship – it's someone's personal dislike of certain imagery. I've never supported censorship, and I don't think my brother meant it that way. We think he's narrow-minded to believe these images have certain connotations."
The administration subsequently announced that both parties had resumed discussions and reached an understanding, with agreements for Tibayrenc to "refine the artwork so that it beautifully reflects the identity of the Bang Rak neighborhood." Vitayakul expressed his support for the artist's return, stating, "She'll come back to revise or rework the mural. It should be the artist's call. She should decide the design and the timeline. It's up to her."
The hotel owner hoped the incident would ultimately benefit the art community by drawing more attention to artistic expression. "Art reflects who we are, and culture only stays alive if it keeps evolving," he added. Tibayrenc confirmed that she is currently in negotiations with both the hotel and the French embassy to return and create a new mural that would satisfy her artistic vision while addressing the property owners' concerns. "My response to this will be my new painting, which hopefully will be approved," she concluded.
