Thale Namkon (Frozen Lake)

My photo-based art production explores the dichotomy between East and Western cultures. I was born in Laos but immigrated to Canada at an early age. Thale Namkon translates from Laotian to English and means frozen lake. I created a golden Laotian inspired ice fishing hut that also functioned as a camera obscura to document the landscape and environment on Lake Simcoe where I grew up. This work invited members of the community to interact and engage with the piece as well as learning about Laotian traditions and customs. The inside of the ice fishing hut was decorated with Laotian textiles and motifs. Growing up on Lake Simcoe, I wanted to envision it from another perspective that incorporated my photo conceptual approach to image making. The photographs made from this experimental, pinhole camera technique tethers between representation and abstraction. The soft, painterly effect juxtaposes the harsh winter conditions that they were produced under. Landscapes are never neutral and undergo so much change and transformation.