Ken Yarbrough Spirit Houses Project Space • Luang Prabang 2011 1 Ken Yarbrough is a familiar figure to residents of Luang Prabang, where he is often seen cycling energetically around the peninsula, relaxing with friends over a coffee here and there, and carrying odd bits of wood and strange dried leaves and seed pods in Ken Yarbrough his bicycle basket. Through and his friends this exhibition we discover what else he has been doing and why he collects these odd materials. Born in Arkansas, Ken spent his teenage years in Bangkok, where he developed a lifelong interest in the study of Buddhism. Later he lived in Arizona in the US, where work with native American groups in the Southwest USA, led to further interest in contemplative religions. When health problems arose he decided to find a more tranquil life to help address these problems. Having visited Laos on several occasions during the 60’s connected with his father’s work, he felt that this was the place to experience that sense of peace. “I like the way they are here, the way they treat their kids and their old people” So he approached the abbot of Wat Phou Kwai and, after lengthy discussion, entered the monastery as a novice in mid-2006 at the age of 55. Every day for 10 months Ken 2 prayed, meditated, worked Ken found his fascination ground, battered by the sun and walked barefoot in his with the little structures was and the rain, he rescues them. orange robes to receive alms growing, but the practical “In Thailand they seem to have a alongside the other monks. issues of setting up a business process for disposing of them, but No special consideration was were also mounting. here, they seem to be more casual, so given for his ‘farang’ status. Then the US government I take them home and I either adopt The abbot gave permission for gave him a medical pension, them or fix them up and re-mount him to coach basketball at the removing the most immediate them. Keeps those spirits happy.” Luang Prabang Orphanage, difficulty, and the project And of the 60 houses he has but not to wear a baseball cap turned into a hobby. made so far, 35 have been when he did so. On a trip back No longer constrained by the given away and taken all over to the USA, he stayed in his idea of turning out a uniform the world. “I aim to have a spirit robes and followed his vows product, the houses became a house on every continent and now throughout. “Ï was the only guy creative outlet and Ken turned I’m only missing Antarctica, but in LA Airport in orange robes, but to using found materials, I’m working on that one.” that was the deal, so I did it.” driftwood from the dry season sandbanks in the Mekong, Looking at the pieces, it is easy He says his feet never got pieces of bamboo, metal to see how the mystical nature hardened to the stones and and glass that he finds on his of the practices of animism ruts of the roads, but his heart daily cycling trips. Animal have crept into Ken’s psyche. was softened to the rhythm shapes began to emerge in But it’s not a subject he is of Lao life and he decided to the structures and the sizes likely to expound on verbally. try life in Luang Prabang after changed. “Making a spirit house is not leaving the temple. This was the result of research something I can talk about at any But there were the practical into spirits, Theravada length,” he observes. problems of what to do and Buddhism and Hinduism “I guess it’s a spiritual thing.” how to support himself. where he found the theme of Inspiration came when he sent spirits as guardians, often in A practical, well-educated a small, fragile spirit house the form of animals. and thoughtful person, Ken through the mail to a friend “Just to make them safe for spirits.” nonetheless believes in the in the USA and it arrived in “I want to build a house that any spirits, feels their presence, but pieces. Undaunted, his friend spirit or person would be happy to offers no intellectual analysis managed to painstakingly live in. But not just happy, these of this belief. Spirits, he rebuild the house from the houses have an ‘attitude’.” suggests, are mysterious little pieces, and the idea of a small beings and mysteries are meant business making wooden spirit Besides making the houses, to mystify us. houses in kit form was born. sometimes for friends, After spending considerable sometimes just to see how it “The sprit houses are just there to time working out designs, would turn out, Ken has also protect the spirits, that’s all.” finding the right tools, become the Luang Prabang researching materials and Spirit House Doctor. thinking about how to set up When he sees spirit houses a workshop employing local that have fallen into disrepair Suzy Young people to produce the houses, or literally fallen on the Luang Prabang, August 2011 3 Catalogue 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Joanie Mitchel 21 With all our thanks to the friends who have made this exhibition & publication possible. All spirithouses in this catalog were made between 2009 and 2011. Project Space • Luang Prabang Jean-Pierre Dovat, Director Kitsalat Road 6 Thong Chaleuan Village PO Box 959 Luang Prabang LAO PDR Tel: + 856 71 213091 [email protected] www.projectspace-luangprabang.com Text: Suzy Young Drawings: Joanie Mitchell Photos: Xai Maithamith Catalogue design: Rik Gadella © 2011, Project Space • Luang Prabang & the Authors 22.