Arts

Dragging a metal chain leash, alarge black dog paced the pathwaybetween two low-slung, glass andsteel art galleries. In the stillnessof mid-afternoon, the eerie sightand metallic sound were strangelydisturbing. Robert and I had justarrived at The Black House, orBaan Si Dum, 10 kilometres northof Chiang Rai. Glancing aroundnervously, I wondered if the dog’ssudden appearance had beenstage-managed. This feeling didn’tdissipate when viewing the gallery’sblack, white and crimson paintingsthat depict the destructive energy ofmythological, fl esh-tearing creaturesthat emanate from the darkly creativeimagination of Thailand’s treasurednational artist Thawan Duchanee.BLACK & WHITEBoth the Black House and the WhiteTemple located two kilometres to thesouth of the former, run counterpointto what I was anticipating whendrawing up my temple itinerary inChiang Rai. The fi rst capital of theancient Lanna kingdom foundedby King Mengrai in the mid-13thcentury, Chiang Rai is Thailand’soldest city in a province separatedfrom Burma and Laos by mightymountains and fast fl owing rivers.Set in the heart of the fabled GoldenTriangle, it’s a region richly endowedwith ancient culture and ethnicdiversity. At Wat Chedi Luang inChiang Saen, we watched machetewieldingmen scale perilous heights,hacking the unrelenting foliage awayfrom the ancient chedi. ChiangSaen’s largest and oldest, it’s theperfect embodiment of Lanna artistry.PRECEDING PAGE(LEFT): Skuills, antlers,beaks and feathers adda surreal touch to theBlack House.PRECEDING PAGE(RIGHT): Thaimythology takes flightat the White Temple.RIGHT: The simplicityof a bronze bell setagainst the complexdesign of theWhite Temple.94 TRAVEL 3SIXTY˚