Protecting Traditional Morality in Art: Using Contemporary Thai Visual Arts to Conserve the Murals of Wat Sanuan Wari Phatthanaram, Thailand

This is a qualitative investigation to conserve the cultural heritage of Northeastern Thai temples through contemporary visual arts. Religious murals are commonly found inside and outside the ordination halls of Northeastern Thai temples and display a unique local identity. However, these expressions of traditional morality are threatened by lack of maintenance, temple destruction, climate change, and the effect of time. This research project was designed at Wat Sanuan Waree Phatthanaram, an ordination hall in Khon Kaen Province, Northeastern Thailand. Combining observation, informal interviews with local monks, and field sketches with documentary review, the researcher created a series of art pieces in acrylic on canvas to reflect and protect the traditional message and intention of the original artists. These contemporary designs are intended to help conserve the local identity of the traditional artisans by using the same methods of contemporary artists in Central Thailand and ensure the murals are not lost to time and neglect.