When aspiring photographer Thana Tharapit was a high school student, he decided to enter the School of Architecture, Art and Design at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. To create an impressive portfolio, he decided to tag along with some rescue volunteers and waste collectors to document their work with a camera.
Thana explained that he was interested in the work of rescue volunteers and garbage collectors because when he was young, he heard negative perceptions about both jobs. Those comments made him curious.
"When I was young, adults would say that garbage collectors were dirty and they would warn children to stay away from garbage trucks. I also heard people say that if children did not study hard, they would end up as garbage collectors," Thana said.
"As for rescue volunteers, there were rumours that workers from different organisations fought over who would take care of the injured or dead. Rescue volunteers explained to me that situation was caused by unauthorised people who were not part of any recognised organisation.
"I believe both jobs require a lot of dedication. It is not a path everyone chooses and they deserve support. It is unfair to stigmatise these workers or treat them differently. At the end of the day, we are all humans."
Due to his excellent portfolio, Thana was accepted into the School of Architecture, Art and Design at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. During his free time while waiting to start the first semester, he decided to accompany rescue volunteers and garbage collectors for one week each and took more photos.
Rescue volunteers.
Three years later, those photos have become part of his solo exhibition "Role And Feeling" at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). He also added a couple of outstanding photos from his portfolio to the exhibition.
Thana, now a third-year undergraduate student at KMITL, explained that the concept of "Role And Feeling" is to convey dedication through the beauty of art.
"I want visitors to feel that they are looking at a painting or a piece of art, rather than just a photograph. These images carry a certain emotional or impactful quality. I used artistic elements, such as symbols, composition and space to tell the story of work and dedication," he said.
"For instance, in a photo of garbage collectors amidst a massive pile of garbage, a white egret appears at the right side of the photo while a garbage collector stands on the left. They are contrasting symbols of different lives."
Thana photographed rescue volunteers at a fire at a mattress factory in Bang Bo. On that day, volunteers heard about the fire on radio dispatch around 2am. Thana said he was impressed that it took the volunteers less than a minute to get ready.
"Each rescue volunteer works in different fields, but they unite as a group because they have the same goal which is to help people. We drove from Samyan and arrived at Bang Bo around 3am. Since it was late at night, the sky was dark and the weather was cold but there was smoke and fire from the mattress factory," he said.
Thana Tharapit at his exhibition 'Role And Feeling'.
"The temperature went from freezing to scorching as we approached the factory. The atmosphere was intense because a petrol station was located near the factory. Rescue volunteers were worried that if they could not quickly extinguish fire, the fire might reach the petrol."
Thana followed a volunteer into the burning site to capture photos. When the fire flared up again, he decided to put his camera away and joined the volunteers to help evacuate people from the factory.
"There were moments when I felt scared and a little lost since I was a high school student who had never experienced that kind of chaotic situation. However, I was glad that I chose to help people. Taking photos is important, but helping people is more important. As humans, we should help each other," Thana said.
"Some images in the collection were like a scene straight out of the movie Mad Max since everything was covered with yellow smoke. I heard rescue volunteers say that the fire had been caused by some chemicals."
When Thana photographed garbage collectors, he discovered that they were not dirty as he was told.
"Most people only see garbage collectors covered in dirt while they are collecting trash. However, when they start their shifts, they wear clean clothes before changing into their uniforms. Even the garbage trucks are kept clean," Thana said.
Garbage collectors.
To photograph garbage collectors, Thana had to jump up and down from the back of the truck since the collectors would be doing the same. He realised that the job required strength and energy. One day after a long shift from 10pm to noon, Thana fell asleep in the truck when the garbage collectors took a break for a meal.
"I was so exhausted I fell asleep in the truck. The garbage collectors bought me a meal and a drink. I was touched by their kindness. They did not need to care for me or buy me a meal because I was the one who asked to tag along with them. However, as humans, we help each other," he said.
After accompanying the garbage collectors, Thana took waste sorting more carefully than before, especially with broken glass because garbage collectors can get injured from shards.
As an aspiring artist, Thana aims to convey his ideas through lighting and presentation. Instead of placing photos in frames, he decided to nail his artwork directly to the wall. This act of nailing symbolises the working class. Additionally, the lighting directed at the images was arranged to create overlapping shadows which represent inequality in the country.
Thana aspires to be a National Geographic photographer, so that he will have opportunities to travel to many places and share stories about the world with other people.
Thana does not expect that his exhibition "Role And Feeling" to change attitudes towards rescue volunteers and garbage collectors.
"I hope viewers will become more aware of people around them and see that no one should look down on others. I hope viewers will gain something from my work even though I may not be able to change people's perspective on rescue volunteers and garbage collectors. I have done my part by sharing stories. I hope others can connect with what I created," he said.
"Role And Feeling" runs at Bangkok Art and Culture Centre, People's Gallery P2 room, 2nd floor until Dec 1. Admission is free. For more information, visit facebook.com/baccpage.
