Dezeen promotion: mosaic tile specialist SICIS is creating highly complex mosaic artworks to replace paintings in Thailand's oldest Hindu shrine.
SICIS is installing mosaics across the interior walls and vaulted ceilings of the historic Sri Mariamman Temple in Bangkok, which is the largest Hindu shrine in the world outside of India.
The mosaics replicate the original paintings in the temple
Taking years to complete, these mosaics are carefully designed to be precise copies of the original frescoes that have been slowly degrading over the years.
These replacements will have a significantly longer lifespan, allowing the temple to endure for the future.
"The mosaic is recognised as an eternal painting, which does not deteriorate and maintains the splendour of the colours and the vigour of the figures represented over time," said SICIS. The designs use tesserae made from gold and Murano glass
The Sri Mariamman Temple was built in 1879 by Vaithi Padayatchi, one of many Tamil Hindu immigrants that came to Thailand to escape colonial rule in India.
The temple comprises a six-metre-high entrance tower, known as a gopura, and three sacred buildings. The main shrine is dedicated to Sri Maha Mariamman, while the other two pay tribute to Ganesh and Kartik.
The task given to SICIS was to replace all of the frescoes in the temple, using both digital tools and tiling craft expertise.
SICIS has created nine Hindu deities for the shrine's vaulted ceiling
To ensure the mosaics woul...