Udom Taepanich takes a break from his busy schedule at the studio where his "dom dolls' jostle for space with other creations.

You may recognise him as "Nose", well known for his stand-up comedy and his comic roles in movies. Now you have the opportunity to see another side to Udom Taepanich.

All this month, Nose is holding his own art exhibition "Dom-Cumentary" on the fourth floor of Soi Thong Lor's J Avenue.

More than 50 works of art will be on view - acrylics on canvas, guns, drawings, etchings and sculptures, as well as fanciful handicrafts that make you smile first and then think a bit, such as his dolls (which he calls "Dom Dolls") and his "You'll Never Walk Alone Sandals" - two pairs of rubber sandals joined at the heels and toes so that two people can walk together. Wear these with a partner and synchronisation is crucial, as if you'll never walk alone as long as you understand each other.

Out of his studio in a housing estate off Lat Phrao come all these works. A few houses down is his office. His residence is around the corner.

All his facilities might be separated by other buildings, but Nose has decorated them in much the same way, with lots of old wood, plants and vines, giving his "places" an upcountry, rustic feel.

Call Nose whimsical, but there's an underlying sadness too, as if you shouldn't laugh too long. He immediately points to his nose as the source of his comedy. By Western standards, it's a bit flat but otherwise all right. By Thai standards, though, it's huge. "At least it's funny," he says.

Nose stops you before you start thinking of Cyrano de Bergerac and his famous schnozz, though. "Of course I have sadness inside me," he says. "I think it comes from the way I grew up."

Born in Chon Buri 38 years ago, he moved around a lot as a child, finally settling down with a cousin after his father died.

"I've felt like an outsider all my life," he says. "I don't have long, close relationships."

The turning point in his life came when he was 18 and became a movie actor by accident. He was working in a publishing company, which was also producing dramas. One of the actors disappeared and Nose was asked to take his place. On the stage before a huge audience, he discovered that he enjoyed the power acting gave him, the power to make people laugh.

Stand-up comedy became his forte, attracting audiences with his whimsical, almost slapstick humour. He's made five films, but finds that he prefers writing his own jokes instead of depending on scriptwriters.

"I like doing the writing myself," he says.

He's already written 10 books based on occurrences in his life. He's also expanded his knowledge, having become fluent in English from his studies in Australia and the US.

His exhibition on J Avenue isn't his first. In September last year, he and four other Thai artists participated in an international art exhibition in Yokohama, Japan. This year his "Dom-Cumentary" is his first in Thailand.

He plans to attend his exhibition as often as he can, but he knows he's going to be busy elsewhere. He's working on his sixth film, playing a busboy who doesn't get along with the bus driver. It is scheduled to come out next year.

Humour, whimsy, a touch of melancholy - enjoy Nose's wellsprings of creativity.

"Dom-Cumentary" is being held on the Fourth Floor, J Avenue

Thonglor Soi 15 until July 31.

Laurie Rosenthal

The Nation