THE CREATION OF WOODCUT PRINTS BASED ON THE IDENTITY OF MURAL PAINTINGS AT WAT PHO CHAI NA PHUENG

Abstract

The Research Entitled The Creation of Woodcut Prints Based on the Identity of Mural Paintings at Wat Pho Chai Na Phueng aims to Analyze the identity of mural paintings at Wat Pho Chai Na Phueng, Na Haeo District, Loei Province, and Create woodcut prints that impart this identity. The study employed a mixed-methods research approach. Data were gathered through document analysis, field surveys, and interviews with five experts. The research instruments included analysis forms, expert interview forms, printmaking experiment records, and artwork evaluation forms. Qualitative data were analyzed using content analysis, Based on the theoretical concepts of Panofsky (1955), Abell (2015), and Feldman (1972), while quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, including frequency, mean, standard deviation, and percentage.

The research findings revealed that: The mural paintings at Wat Pho Chai Na Phueng possess three distinct identities; Content Identity: A synthesis of the Life of the Buddha, Jataka tales, and local literature, interspersed with reflections of local life, traditions, and society during the reigns of King Rama IV to VI, alongside Buddhist teachings; Visual Art Identity: Characterized by bold outlines and flat colors, featuring a continuous narrative style where scenes flow naturally without dividing frames; and Socio-cultural Context Identity: Reflecting the morals and beliefs of Isan people, serving as visual historical evidence of the transition from traditional to modern Isan society. The creative output consists of ten woodcut prints depicting the Life of the Buddha, Jataka tales, and local literature in various sizes and formats. The creation process involved five steps: studying prototype images, preparing materials, block creation, printing, and hand-coloring with powder color to preserve the atmospheric quality of the original murals. The expert evaluation indicated that the artworks were appropriate at a high level overall (  = 4.34, S.D. = 0.70). This research demonstrates that reinterpreting local artistic identity through the printmaking process is an effective approach for creative conservation and the transmission of cultural heritage into the contemporary context.