Elizabeth Romhild is a woman of many talents and a heart full of warmth. Half Danish and half Armenian, she married to her Danish husband Peter, a proud mother of a son and a daughter, and a loving grandmother to two little boys.
But beyond her cherished family roles, Elizabeth is an incredibly creative and accomplished artist – and my dear friend of many years.
On February 27, she launched a book with a stunning collection of her 40 years of vibrant, colorful paintings and designs.
“This is my third baby”, Elizabeth said with a smile, and it took even longer than my two children – over a year in the making.”
The elegant Pacific City Club in Pacific Tower 2 on Sukhumvit was the perfect venue for the book launch, where she welcomed media for an afternoon preview, followed by an evening celebration with friends and well-wishers. Many took the opportunity to have their copies personally signed by Elizabeth.
The evening also featured an auction, with proceeds donated to the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer (QSCBC) , a renowned facility where the highly respected Dr.Kris Chatamra serves. Dr. Kris founded the Queen Sirikit Centre for Breast Cancer, which was inaugurated in 2005 under the patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit of Thailand.
Dr. Kris has over thirthy years of experience in breast cancer treatment, having served as a senior clinician in the UK and as a member of the Court of Examiners at the Royal Colege of Surgeons of England. He established the QSCBC to provide advanced breast cancer care including for underpriviledged women in Thailand. Dr. Kris is a Thai national and he attended the event alongside his English wife, Khunying Finola.
Elizabeth’s connection to this cause is deeply personal; since meeting HM Queen Sirikit in June 2005, she’s is proudly serving as an ambassador for breast cancer awareness. Over the years, she’s donated numerous artworks to support various charitable organizations.
The auction included a bronze sculpture and an oil painting on canvas. Elizabeth wants to encourage women to share their experiences that they might have had with breast cancer.
Elizabeths journey into the world of art began when she was 26. Her first exhibition took place in Indonesia in 1986, where her family was living at the time. It was there that she truly found her passion.
“That’s where I became an artist,” she says. Inspired by Picasso’s biography, she began painting – and you can often see echoes of Picasso and Chagall in her bold, colorful works, but with her own distinctive style. She started with watercolors, but eventually transitioned to oil paints, a medium she still loves today.
But Elizabeth’s creativity doesn’t stop at painting. Over the years, she’s sculpted, created mosaics, designed jewelry collections, and crafted porcelain pieces. Pianos, a lifelong passion of hers, often appear in both her jewelry and porcelain designs.
These days, large-scale paintings have become less frequent as she feels the strain on her shouder from years of brushstrokes. So what’s next for this unstoppable artist?
“Que sera, que sera – whatever will be, will be,” she says with a twinkle in her eyes. She’s open to exploring new creative ventures, whether it’s designing wallpapers, carpets, scarves, or handbags.
There’s truly no limit to what this imaginative woman can achieve.
If you are looking for something unique, you can even order a Bang & Olufsen speaker, designed by Elizabeth herself.
And for those lucky enough to visit her studio in Bangkok, you’ll find a carefully curated collection of her remaining pieces – works she guards with the care of a devoted mother hen.
While parting with her art is never easy, she’s grateful and honored that so many choose to adorn their homes and public spaces with her creations.
Her remarkable 312-page book, printed in Denmark – a country known for its world-class printing – is a feast for the eyes. Available online and at Asia Books location in Siam Paragon, Central World, and EmSphere, as well as Kinokuniya Book Stores, the book is priced at 3,800 THB. Elizabeth hopes it will inspire others to pick up a brush and start painting. She herself never formally studied art-her skills are the result of endless imagination and practice.
“The more you paint or sculpt, the better you become,” she says with conviction. “And you have to dare to try.”
There’s so much I could write about Elizabeth. She is not only a gifted artist but also a dedicated wife, mother, grandmother, homemaker, and friend. Being part of Elizabeth and Peter’s circle is an honor I treasure, an I hope our friendship continues for many more years to come.
I also have to say I was absolutely amazed at the auction. I’ve never experienced an auction where the buyers wanted to raise the starting prices. Elizabeth’s oil painting and the sculpture were both sold to two Thai buyers and that’s not all. Both the painting and the sculpture were afterwards donated to Dr. Kris and the Queen Sirikit Centre of Breast Cancer. Dr. Kris happily received 2.1 million THB for the auction and sales of the books. A very happy doctor and a proud artist – what an unforgettable evening!
Here’s to Elizabeth Romhild-an extraordinary woman whose art and spirit bring so much beauty and inspiration to the world!
