A recent sketchbook doodle, playing with patterns and shadows.
And speaking of shadows, there’s this:
Suchart Subsin Shadow Puppetry Museum. Photo: Kent Wang.
I’ve long been obsessed with the traditional Thai art form of nang talung, or nang yai. Entire tales of star-crossed lovers and wandering heroes are told by intricate, lace-like shadows flickering across a white screen, as traditional music plays in the background (similar arts are also found in Cambodia, Malaysia, and Indonesia.)
Photo: Pratyeka.
Photo: Pratyeka
The “puppets” are incredible works of art in their own right–made from leather that has been hand painted and meticulously hand punched. I vividly remember seeing these traditional Thai puppet shows on our family trips, and was completely enchanted by them.
And we can’t talk about shadows without paying homage to the nostalgic fun of folding your hands to form a giant bunny (or goose) on your bedroom wall. (I love every image from this book.)
