Project No.08 : “Vietnam Water Puppetry” Photoshoot
ROLE
Art Director
TIME
August 2023
SECTOR
Concept Photography
PROJECT OVERVIEW
“Múa Rối Nước” – Unveiling the Essence
“Múa Rối Nước” is a photography project that delves into the captivating world of Vietnamese water puppetry. The collection is divided into three albums, each exploring a distinct facet of this art form: Spirituality, Culture, and Daily Life.
INSPIRATION
Preserving Water Puppetry: A Cultural Legacy
Water puppetry, a vibrant and expressive art form, holds a special place in my heart. Its origins as a form of entertainment amidst flooded rice paddies resonate deeply, reflecting its enduring connection to Vietnamese life and culture. This art form has always accompanying Vietnamese farmers through difficult times, and until now, it has developed into a globally recognized art form.
OBJECTIVE
The allure of modernity threatens to overshadow these traditional gems, especially among younger generations. In response, I’ve embarked on a project to capture the essence of water puppetry through photography. By exploring its Spiritual, Cultural, and Everyday dimensions, I aim to rekindle an appreciation for this remarkable heritage among our youth.
Table of Content
Album 1
Spirituality
Where stories of deities, folklore, and ancestral beliefs come to life
Album 2
Culture
Captures the immense pride associated with scholarly achievement
Album 3
Daily Life
A glimpse into the heart of Vietnamese daily life
ALBUM 1 : SPIRITUALITY
Faith in Goodness
INSPIRATION
Vietnam is a nation deeply rooted in spirituality, where people hold strong beliefs in the supernatural, hoping to ward off evil and misfortune. This faith gave rise to water puppetry, imbuing performances like “The Four Sacred Spirits Converge,” “The Eight Immortals,” and “The Carp Becomes a Dragon” with spiritual significance.
This album explores the characters of the Eight Immortals and the Four Sacred Spirits, all believed to bring blessings upon the people.
MOOD AND TONE
FINAL PRODUCTS
ALBUM 2 : CULTURE
The Pride of Scholarly Achievement
INSPIRATION
This album delves into the pride and heroism of Vietnamese culture through the scene of a newly appointed Imperial Scholar returning home in triumph after passing the highest civil service exam, as depicted in the play “Returning Home in Glory to Honor Ancestors.”
MOOD AND TONE
FINAL PRODUCTS
ALBUM 3 : LIFE
Familiar and Enduring Traditions
INSPIRATION
This album narrates the stories of everyday life and the familiar agricultural practices of Vietnamese people, such as transplanting rice seedlings, harrowing fields, herding ducks, setting traps, fishing, grinding rice, pounding rice, catching frogs, and catching ducks. The central figures in this album are the farmers themselves.
MOOD AND TONE
FINAL PRODUCTS
WHAT HAVE
I LEARNED ?
The Challenges and Delicacy of Teamwork in Creative Endeavors
When working as a team, it’s important to acknowledge that the final product will rarely align perfectly with the Art Director’s initial vision. Our goal should be to harmonize the expectations of the entire team, ensuring that the final product reflects the collective spirit of our group.
Striking a balance during the creative process is crucial. We must avoid letting individual mindsets dictate the direction of the project while also ensuring that the final product doesn’t lose its essence or coherence.
In the end, I realized that for a high school club project, it doesn’t matter how perfect our product is or how the public receives it. What matters most is what we’ve learned from our mistakes, the lessons and experiences we’ve gained about teamwork, how to build and create the most complete project we can, and the memories we’ve shared together. All of those things mean more to me than anything else.
previous project : Bầm the exhibition
next project : My Gallery
anh tran 