We went to Puktien Beach on the western coast of the Gulf of Thailand, attracted by a sign that announced "The Best Seafood" was in this direction. Well, the seafood was okay but not great. Even better, we stumbled across this giant statue in the sea. She is Pisuea Samut, the Butterfly of the Sea, a giant who transformed herself into a woman when she fell in love with Phra Apai Mani, the eponymous hero of the epic poem by Sunthorn Phu. Alas, their love was not to be. No Juliet, Butterfly was spurned when Apai, who was no Romeo, discovered her true nature. He ran away from her with the help of a mermaid and her parents. In anger, Butterfly killed and ate the parents. Nobody told Butterfly it was a big turnoff to do this because Apai took up with the mermaid instead of her. If it was any consolation to Butterfly, there was no happy-ever-after for Apai and the mermaid either. He was truly a butterfly himself, flitting from woman to woman before finally settling down with the Princess of Lanka.
Sunlight: A Poem in Images
Chabaa/Frangipani, 2010
Circle
Wood, Stone, and Flower
Watchers
Wood, Stone, and Flower 2
Time
Repetition in Glass
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