The collection holds mostly photographs of the Theravada Buddhist world of Laos and Luang Prabang, primarily taken and collected from 1940 to the 1990s while the main contributor lived as a Buddhist monk at Vat Nong Sikhounmeuang, Luang Prabang. The subject matter includes images of Buddha statues, Buddhist ceremonies, landscape/architecture, monastery/architecture, unusual travel material, people’s festivals, group portraits of laypeople with and without monks, group and individual portraits of monks, and photographs of Phra Phoummie Phalappatto. The portraits and self-portraits of Phra Oune Heuan Hasapanyo are unusual in relation to the entire holdings of the Buddhist Archive of Photography. Two bodies of photographs made by Phra Oune Heuan Hasapanyo can be distinguished in the collection: one of illuminations, fireworks and night ceremonies linked to Bun Ook Pansaa, the festival of the end of Buddhist Lent, mostly but not exclusively at his monastery Vat Nong; the other very rare work on women’s meditation practice in Luang Prabang.
1113 items. Scans and digital photography.
Original material consists of: silver gelatine DOP prints, chromogenic prints, colour halftone prints. Some prints may be reproductions of earlier images.
Annotations and inscriptions: Lao, Pali (Tham script), French, Khmer, Thai.
