3rd place
bronze star award
David Sharabani
united kingdom 
title
I Heard a Crack: Observations on Muay Thai
I spent time living in Thailand researching and documenting Muay Thai. I want to share what I saw. To me, Muay Thai is an art form as much as a sport. It’s steeped in ancient tradition and laced with Buddhist beliefs. The fighting element is a small yet significant part of this story. Having chosen to spend the majority of my time behind the scenes with the fighters, trainers and punters. I chose to focus my attention on the essence of the culture of Muay Thai.
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entry description
Muay Thai is Thailand’s national sport. Sit in any social spot with a television and you’re sure to catch a fight. The sport is a brutal one, often referred to as ‘The Art of Eight Limbs’. Fighters can strike an opponent using fists, shins, elbows and knees. It’s often compared to Western boxing but is considered far more brutal and yet simultaneously graceful.I spent time living in Thailand researching and documenting Muay Thai. I want to share what I saw. To me, Muay Thai is an art form as much as a sport. It’s steeped in ancient tradition and laced with Buddhist beliefs. The fighting element is a small yet significant part of this story. Having chosen to spend the majority of my time behind the scenes with the fighters, trainers and punters. I chose to focus my attention on the essence of the culture of Muay Thai.
about the photographer
David Sharabani is a London born artist who is known for his photography as well as his stencil graffiti. He attended the London College Printing and then moved on to study business. Having spent a large portion of his working life trading stocks from his laptop and traveling extensively he has had the opportunity to witness how institutions and global economies truly function. This enabled him to make enough for himself to suspend work and move into art. He initially took to the streets to spray paint stencils, having learned his skills in Buenos Aires and after spending over 2 years in Latin America he continues to travel extensively to pursue his projects. He is working on a number of ongoing photography projects and is currently documenting both the Muay Thai and Sumo cultures, in Thailand and Japan respectively. He is also the author of ‘Street Art Santiago’ by Schiffer Publishing in which he documented the urban art scene in Santiago, Chile. He has two further books due for release in 2017, one of which chronicles the street art scene in Buenos Aires and the other in Tokyo. He is also the curator of the online website the Museum of Urban Art.back to gallery
