THE CREATIVE DESIGN OF HMONG ETHNIC PUPPETS

Abstract

The research titled "The Creative Design of Hmong Ethnic Puppets" aims to: 1) Study information about the Hmong ethnic group and the process of puppet creation; 2) Design and create puppets inspired by the Hmong ethnic identity and 3) Develop educational media related to the creative process of Hmong-style puppets. The research was divided into 4 steps as follows: 1) Studying, researching, and collecting data; 2) Creating the Art Education Thesis project and developing instructional materials; 3) Analyzing and summarizing the results and 4) Presenting the creative works and instructional media. The research findings are as follows: 1) Background study: The Hmong ethnic group, particularly the Green Hmong, has a distinctive cultural identity, especially in terms of traditional clothing, embroidered patterns, and lifestyle. These elements were creatively applied in the puppet design while preserving their unique identity. 2) The results of art education thesis were design and creation in puppets consisted of 4 as follows: 2 male and 2 female using traditional Thai puppet-making techniques integrated with Hmong-specific clothing styles and personality traits. One pair of puppets was designed with a contemporary twist: the male puppet features a vest adapted from traditional Hmong attire, while the female puppet incorporates a dress style to reflect modern fashion. 3) The results of the development of instructional media: The researcher created instructional media in the infographic and illustration steps of puppet creation, along with detailed explanations to enhance abilities in art and cultural learning skills in the art education context.