naamH

Water being the lifeline for everything on our planet, cultures have associated water with many different meanings and are used for many different cultural practices. This series investigates some of the relationships that Thai culture and religion has to water and how water is used in some cultural practices.

Thailand cultural development has happened along large rivers in the region creating a unique cultural and religious relationship to water. Exploring some of these practices, water is mainly used as a way to bless and cleanse the land and people of their sins and from spirits with evil intentions. Water is also used to bless people with good fortune, bring prosperity, and unite families and communities together.

The series titled Nam showcases some of the relationships Thai culture and society has to water. The images are shown in a small enclosed room with a round table in the middle that has traditional cups of water and platers resembling a dining/living room where many cultural practices are prepared. The images on the walls are hung low to invite the audience to kneel when interacting with the exhibition mirroring how Thais traditionally sit around the table. This also invites the audience to look through the images at a slower pace and sit around the table and experience how the water based customs brings people and communities together.