Modern Wat
Wat Rong Khun a.k.a. The White Temple
The vision of Chalermchai Kositpipat, famous Thai artist. This wat stood out from the rest. All white with mirrors. It is an ice castle fit for the Snow Queen, it almost drips with concrete icicles.
Closer inspection shows a demon guarding a pit. White concrete hands reach upwards. For a Buddhist temple there is a strong flavor of heaven and hell in the design. A nearby statue has a liquor bottle in the middle and is half red and half white. I can almast hear the phrase “demon alcohol” as I look at it.
The inside is even more surreal. The murals are modern life splashed across the walls and pillars. Here there is aliens in spaceships, there is a sumo wrestler flipping the bird being eaten by a demon. Neo from the Matrix, the twin towers burning, blood dripping, gorgeous colors, faces, places. A rich space is created showing the modern and tipping its hat to the tranditional.
Sadly no photos were allowed inside the wat and they weren’t selling pics of it in the gift shop. I suspect they are waiting until its done to allow pics to be taken.
Sarah mentioned he was designing a temple in the US but I can’t find any info on that. If he is, it will be worth tracking down and seeing.
Tags: Travel
