During my travels in Thailand, in the streets of the south-western city of Ranong, we were approached by a friendly man who invited us to see the performance of a Chinese theatre group he was part of. In the spirit of curiosity and adventure, we accepted his invitation. The man asked us to arrive early, so he could give us a tour of the backstage.

This behind-the-scenes experience, paired with the group performance, resulted in the series “Chinese Theatre’. We were overwhelmed by the friendliness of the actors and stunned by the colours and vibrance of the costumes and stage, which stood in sharp contrast to the simple life the performers led. After hours of preparation, the group performed a four-hour Chinese opera in front of a handful of spectators.

2004, Kodak Portra 35mm