“I heard a faint sound of fiddles from a distance only when there was no sunlight. It sounds like the wind carried it from far far away. Mae Yuan said it is impossible. She thought I was talking about some kind of ghost. …”
การเดินทาง (Kan Doenthang: voyage, journey)
Kan Doenthang is a series of bronze bracelets, rings, and necklaces made by Lost Wax Casting process, using organic molds made of clay, paddy husk, termite hill, and cow dung.
It is the first series of work which is a result of several journeys to Baan Pa-Ao village in Northeast of Thailand from 2012 to 2018. I lived with the villagers and worked with the craftsman family which the ancient clay mold casting craft has been practiced and passed on for generations.
It is a journey of both physical and mental, outer as well as inner, back to the old time as well as toward the future.
The rough texture of clay mold imprinted on the bronze surface reveals the truthfulness of the material and process which involves the 4 elements; earth, water, air, and fire.
The bare surface of bronze without any tarnish resistant treatment allows the pieces to bravely face the aging process. No fear, no refusal, no resistance. With the awareness of the beauty of aging, it is delightfully accepted.
It is not to imitate the primitive artifacts. This series of work is created using the clay mold casting technique because it is the perfect way to transmit the statement.
Rudee Tancharoen 