Life in the Shadows
On the island of Phuket, the traditional art of shadow puppetry - which has entertained islanders for generations - is being kept alive by determined artist Apinan Sarochwong
For Apinan Sarochwong, the ancient art of shadow puppets is a fading tradition, but one he is determined to preserve. Originally from Surat Thani province, Sarochwong has long been based in Phuket, where he makes a living as a painter and puppeteer.
An traditional art form that can be found throughout part of Asia, including styles indigenous to Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and India, shadow plays have been performed around Thailand since the early 15th century, and were long the favored form of entertainment for royalty. They usually use leather-made puppets, which are displayed behind a large backlit screen, and accompanied by music played by a band.
The popularity of shadow puppets quickly spread to villages throughout the Thai kingdom, with ornate puppets used to tell stories based on the Hindu epic poem Ramayana. However, while the rest of the country adopted a style known as ‘nang yai', southern Thailand developed its own distinctive version called 'nang talung' - the names comes from Phatthalung, the province where it’s believed to have originated.
While the former style uses huge puppets weighing up to 4 kilograms each (the word 'yai' means big in Thai), 'nang talung' utilizes smaller puppets, and takes a much more down-to-earth approach, using comedy, music and scripts written in the southern dialect to put on plays designed to entertain audiences – it's an art form for the people.
Sarochwong is based in a bohemian enclave in the far south of Phuket home to a changing roster of artists, with galleries (in many cases built by the artists themselves) surrounding a shady central courtyard. In amidst this chaotic creative space is his art studio, which features a downstairs gallery where he exhibits his abstract paintings, and an open loft from which he regularly puts on lively performances of nang talung.
Tucked away safely inside his studio, he stores his dozen or so shadow puppets, each measuring 30-50 cm high, in a large folder made from rattan. The beautiful figures are handmade by skilled craftsmen from cured water buffalo or cow hide, and colored by food dyes, with the hues showing brightly when backlit in front of the screen. They have a movable, articulated arm controlled by string, which allows for limited action.
In keeping with custom, he is the sole puppeteer (nai nang talung), a feat all the more remarkable when you realize performances can go on for five hours or so. For larger shows, he's accompanied by a troupe of musicians, who play the 'pi' (oboe), 'ching' (cymbals), 'tap' (drum), 'glong' (drums), 'krap' (wooden blocks), and 'mong' (gong).
The puppets represent distinctive characters, including gods, heroes, demons and a comedian. The latter is by far the most popular puppet, a kind of jester who dispenses wisecracks that touch upon politics, daily life, and local gossip. Sarochwong writes his own plays, poetry and dialogue that is spoken and sung in the southern Thai dialect.
While nang talung was once the island's main form of entertainment, nowadays he is only called upon to perform at heritage festivals or temple fairs. It means he performs mainly for the love of the art form, and the hope that by keeping it in the public eye, this magical and entertaining tradition will be kept alive for generations to come.