The Threatened Picturesque Scenery of Tamui Village and Its River by Burachat Boaking

Art Essay for the Special Initiative “The Mekong is Blue and Dried: Visual Storytelling of the Mekong River’s Environmental Degradation” by SEA Junction and the Samdhana Institute

Title:	The Threatened Picturesque Scenery of Tamui Village and Its River
Storyteller/Artist:	Burachat Boaking
Place:	Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand
Time:	April – June 2020

As an artist, I can well say that the scenery of Tamui village in Khong Chiam District, Ubon Ratchathani Province along the Thai-Laotian border is none less than picturesque. I discovered this enchanting location upon the invitation of Tamui Village Conservation Group to participate in their environmental conservation activities for children, which took place from April to June 2020.

When I arrived, I was immediately struck by the calm conveyed by the Mekong River and the peaceful way of life of the Tamui villagers. They live in harmony with the river, earning their livelihoods from fishing and other natural resources, but without exhausting them. The children, whether it be in Thailand or across the river in Laos play on the shores, enjoying swimming on the waters and running on the sides after each other.

Yet, I learned that all this could easily disappear because of a new planned dam. Already now, the waters of the river and Tamui village are being affected by the many dams’ operations upstream. The villagers demand to conserve the environment on the Mekong River because it is their home, they are content with their life and they are dependent on the river for their livelihoods.

The more I listened to them, the more I felt moved by their worries.  I could not phantom that such beautiful landscape and rich natural resources, and with them the lives of people who depend on them, are at risk of destruction. I wanted to do something to help.

As an artist I paint, so I was inspired to make a series of watercolor that portray the river and its surroundings. The paintings just show the river in different moments of the day, with different lights and weather conditions.  In their simplicity, I hope that they will communicate how precious the place is and the beauty of living in harmony with nature.

I also decided to donate those water color paintings to the Tamui Village Conservation Group for them to raise funds to support the children’s activities as their social and environmental awareness is the best guarantee for the river’s future!

 

Photographer/Artist
Burachat Boaking is an artist from Trang Province, concerned about community development. He graduated in Arts from Pohchang Academy, Bangkok, in 1992. Currently, he lives in Surin Province and besides painting and holding exhibitions also speaks on art-related topics for relevant institutes and organizations.

Organizers
The Mekong is Blue and Dried: Visual Storytelling of the Mekong River’s Environmental Degradation is a special initiative of SEA Junction and its partner the Samdhana Institute to provide a platform for the creative use of visual documentation and art to advocate for environmentally and socially friendly measures for the Mekong River.

See further: http://seajunction.org/the-mekong-is-blue-and-dried-visual-storytelling-of-the-mekong-rivers-environmental-degradation-open-call-for-photo-art-essays/#.XzikaegzY2w