Hejnar, M: Secret Siam

Underground film-maker Mark Hejnar lived in Thailand for four years, during which time he relentlessly explored the far reaches of the kingdom taking thousands of photographs along the way. Hejnar s interest lay not in Thailand s bars, beaches and other tourist attractions, but in its stunning range of indigenous art, icons and architecture which lies, hidden in plain sight, just beyond the beaten path. From religious folk-paintings to infernal torture sculptures, from half-buried gods in temple cave complexes to the spectral dolls who beckon from derelict spirit houses, Hejnar has captured a revelatory world of the marvelous and the monstrous, showing how Thailand s religions, myths and art are inextricably bound together. SECRET SIAM presents over 300 of Hejnar s rich photographic images, reproduced in full size and full-colour throughout, accompanied by a series of concise explanatory texts. It stands as a unique visual introduction to one of the world s most fascinating and yet seldom explored artistic cultures."