Kumpa Tawornprom’s life might read like the plot of a Wes Anderson movie, but the local artist and sculptor prefers to amaze people with his giant creations.
“I like to think there’s nothing I can’t do! I tell people, ‘No problem!’” the cheerful, soft-spoken artist says without a lick of arrogance. His works display impressive technical skill and an eye for color, no doubt influenced by his Thai heritage.
“In Thai culture, older siblings take care of the youngest,” Kumpa explains. Kumpa moved to the Tampa Bay area in 1996. Today, Kumpa lives on the northeast edge of Clearwater, and his studio is a few miles away in Safety Harbor, where he creates statues made from Styrofoam and other materials.
The sculptor and painter designs stand-up paddleboards with business partner Chad Fisher. Their company, Orange Board Co., has created SUP boards with mermaid fins and other added marine appendages. The duo will design a trophy for the SUP fundraiser Paddle With Kids on May 2.
Kumpa’s other projects have included a giant pink elephant that welcomed crowds to Safety Harbor’s 2015 Songfest (which now hangs out at nearby Casa Loco) and statues for Disney resorts in Orlando. One of his giant reptiles adorns the South Tampa Green Iguana, and a dolphin for Frenchy’s South Beach portrays a finny tourist with a straw hat and sunglasses. If you stroll around downtown Safety Harbor, you’d be hard put not to run into one of Kumpa’s works. A 10-foot guitar hangs from the ceiling in Brady’s Backyard BBQ and a 5-foot-tall red-eye tree frog, along with a mural, can be spotted at Green Springs restaurant. He’s painted commemorative grapefruits on two storefronts and even some dumpsters. One project is still in progress: a 40-foot-long bench for Tupelo on Fourth, a collaboration with boutique owner Melissa Haist.
“I like supporting local businesses and try to help by not charging too much,” Kumpa says.
Having a show at a gallery isn’t a priority for Kumpa, though last year he was a finalist in the Contain It! PODS installation art show at the Dunedin Fine Art Center. His work, “The Evolution of Man,” cast reflections of himself progressively aging on the front wall and images of his past works on the side walls. Last year, his giant penny projected a shadow of Lincoln’s profile and won first place in the competition. Kumpa’s giant animal statues have loomed over buildings in Miami and Las Vegas, too.
Loyalty is of utmost importance to the artist. Around seven years ago, he says a friend with Lucasfilm connections almost got him a job with the Star Wars production company working on a new film. Kumpa, who’s done some prop work with locally shot films, didn’t take the job, mostly because he didn’t want to leave his then-business partner, a fellow Thai native who needed to support his family. Because it’s almost unheard of to turn down a job at Lucasfilm, word got back to George Lucas himself, who wrote a letter to Kumpa saying, “I want to be your friend because you are loyal to your friends.”
If that weren’t outlandish enough, Kumpa shared that Mr. Star Wars himself related his dilemma to the Prince of Thailand — because famous media magnates are sometimes friends with royalty. The Prince told the King, who issued a King Rama V honorary coin to Kumpa, hand-delivered by a Thai monk.
Kumpa tells this incredible story but fears sounding immodest: “I don’t like bragging about myself. I’m very humble,” he says.
To say Kumpa is well-liked in Safety Harbor is an understatement. In 2008, when the artist ran into even more bureaucratic snafus, friends and SHAMc founders Todd and Kiaralinda hosted a benefit concert called Kumpa Palooza to help the foreign-born artist raise funds for immigration assistance.
“Kumpa is a kind, humble and super-talented artist that we are proud to have as a friend,” says Ramquist. “He is also one of the most diverse, working in many mediums.”
If Kumpa’s latest dream project comes to light, he should have even more fans.
Memories of his policeman father telling stories about his homecomings from war — Kumpa’s dad served in World War II, Korea and Vietnam — have inspired a statue design that will feature a 25-foot-tall statue of a soldier, holding an illuminated lantern. The soldier would have a boy and a dog by his side, and the title would read “Welcome Home.” The statue idea, which has gotten positive feedback from city officials, he says, would overlook the Safety Harbor waterfront and be the first beacon of its kind summoning visitors to the city.
As far as the fundraising and logistical challenges go, Kumpa would say what he always says: “No problem!”
