Charinthorn RACHURUTCHATA

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Charinthorn RACHURUTCHATA

Participating Project	International Creator Residency Program
Activity Based	Thailand
City	Tokyo
Period	2020.1 - 2020.3

Purpose of the residency

Born as a woman in the Buddhist country Thailand and grow up under negative Buddhist teaching and believed towards women. Charinthorn has drawn interest in gender inequality and patriarchy system in Buddhist teaching that happen throughout Asia.
With lack of free speech to address the negative aspects on Buddhism in her own country. In the secular state country Japan, with more freedom environment, Charinthorn attempt to create artwork that bring up questions on the negative mythology and believe in Buddhist religious and to bring back the positive attitudes towards women in the Buddhist teaching that lost through the patriarchy history.

Plan during the residency

・Research the landscape of Mt. Omine and spiritual pilgrimage path in Sanjogatake.
・Research the folklore and Buddhist religious teaching that issue the relationship of sacred mountain and women in Japan.
・Interviews with the Buddhist monks and Nuns and also Buddhist and non-Buddhist citizens of Tokyo to exchange the vision of idealistic Buddhist from different perspective.
・Workshop and discussion, invite participants to experience the walking meditation landart and exchange their point of views about women and Buddhist together without judgmental.

Activities during the residency

Charinthorn Rachurutchata is photography base visual artist who takes an interest in gender inequality, religious, social and political issues. Born in the Buddhist country Thailand, she grew up under negative Buddhist teaching and belief towards women. At TOKAS residency, Charinthorn creates her work ”Mountain (no longer) set apart”, focusing on the tradition of female exclusion from sacred site and spiritual pilgrimage paths in Ominesan in Nara prefecture that still live on through the present. She explores the connection of gender inequality and patriarchy system in Buddhist teaching between Thailand and Japan under the mythological concepts that “women” are impure and incapable of awakening without first being reborn as “men”.

Overview of the residency

Buddhists throughout the world are taught according to mythological concepts that “women” is impurity and incapable of awakening without first being reborn as men. With negative teaching towards women, ”Mountain (no longer) set apart”, the artwork hope to shed light on the mythology believing that set women apart from the spiritual freedom in Buddhist religious.

Creator Information