A Photo Documentary: Cultural Adaptation of Nang Yai Wat Kanon

Abstract

The creative research Photo Documentary: Cultural Adaptation of Nang Yai Wat Khanon aims to explore the dynamics of cultural continuity within Thailand’s traditional shadow puppet performance in contemporary society. This study understands “cultural adaptation” as a process of continuity of Living Heritage, enacted through practice, learning, and community participation rather than formal transformation of form. Recognizing Nang Yai as an intangible heritage that embodies both artistic identity and community spirituality, the study investigates how the art form adapts to social and technological changes in modern life. The research objectives are (1) to study the cultural adaptation of Nang Yai performance at Wat Khanon, Ratchaburi, as a living and practice-based process and (2) to present photographic works that narrate the living process of transmission and reinterpretation through documentary photography. This study applies the approaches of Visual Anthropology and Photo Documentary, using photography as a tool for learning and interpreting cultural experience within the community context. The researcher acted as an Artistic Observer, documenting authentic situations without intervention, except for photographing puppets in the museum with controlled lighting to reveal their intricate craftsmanship. Data collection covered three aspects: (1) photographing the puppet collections in the museum, (2) documenting live performances including puppetry, dance, and music, and (3) observing youth training sessions. Findings reveal that Nang Yai at Wat Khanon continues to survive through intergenerational transmission, where young performers, local artists, and monks collaboratively reinterpret and adapt the art form to contemporary contexts. The photographs function as a Cultural Language, portraying Nang Yai as a Living Heritage—an art form that continues to evolve and resonate within the cultural landscape of 21st-century Thailand.