Technique & medium: Platinum prints.

Why did you choose to touch on the subject of Buddhism and why in Luang Prabang in particular?
Luang Prabang, having been closed to visitors for many decades, offers me an opportunity to document the revival of Theravada Buddhism in Laos in a very unique way.

What’s the Buddhist Heritage Project?
My work is community-based, and with the sangha in Luang Prabang, we set up the Buddhist Heritage Project which includes the Buddhist Archive of Photography, a 120-year archive of photographs from monasteries in Luang Prabang, the Buddhist Academy of Higher Education and an enlistment of endangered art objects in Luang Prabang for the establishment of a Museum at Vat Saen Sukharam. Finally, we also have the Vipassana teaching retreats.

Tell us about “Courage”?
This is a novice, or little naga, who’s going through ordination to enter the sangha, a rite of passage that requires great courage for a boy. The portrait captures the change in his entire composure and spirit as he transitions into becoming a novice.

Your past works have mostly been in black and white. Would you say that defines your own personal style?
Black-and-white has power when it comes to subjects like religion. When done in platinum prints as in this exhibition, it is a special combination of the subject and the medium that has to be experienced in person. That is the hallmark of this show.

How does being a writer help you in your photography and vice versa?
The writing keeps me intellectually stimulated and my photography work reflects that.