The Relationship Between Life and the Urban Environment

Abstract

This research presents a creative study exploring the relationship between life and the urban environment through contemporary painting. In the context of rapid urban development, cities are no longer perceived solely as physical structures but as living systems shaped by socio-cultural and environmental dimensions that influence human life and experience. This study aims to examine the connection between human life and the urban environment and to translate the research findings into creative outcomes using acrylic painting as a visual research medium. The research adopts a qualitative approach combined with practice-based creative research. It incorporates a review of relevant literature on urban environmental concepts and symbolic interpretation theory, together with field observations of the riverside community along Khlong Hua Takhe in Bangkok. The creative process consists of conceptual analysis, visual design development, and the creation of acrylic paintings that convey symbolic relationships between nature, community, and urban structures. The findings reveal that human life within urban contexts remains closely connected to natural elements, particularly water-based environments that shape community identity, collective memory, and everyday life. The artworks demonstrate a synthesis of organic and geometric forms, layered colors, and varied textures to express harmony, tension, and contrast between natural and built environments. Through symbolic interpretation, the paintings function as mental spaces that encourage viewers to reflect on their own experiences of contemporary urban life. This study confirms that contemporary painting can serve as an effective research outcome for generating artistic knowledge and communicating complex relationships between life and the urban environment.