Design Ideas

 |  September 30, 2013


Thaiwijit Puangkasemsomboon   

The abstract artist was born in 1959 in Pattani Province. He graduated from The Fine Arts Department, Silpakorn University and was a visiting instructor at the Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University between 1987 – 1989. He has lived in Chiang Mai for eight years now. 

www.rama9art.org/thaiwijit

Design in Chiang Mai is often both traditional and contemporary. However, it is not easy for designers to combine both aesthetics in a practical way. Here are a few local, unknown artists who have mastered the practice that I would like to showcase for you.

I really enjoy the products and designs from Pan’s Shop in Hang Dong District. Pan uses natural materials to design simple furniture, while retaining the natural beauty in the materials as well. Somsak Nonthakankit, another local artist, makes robots and superhero figures from recycled waste materials such as plastic bottles, lighters, and wires. He has a unique talent for transforming rubbish into highly unique objects! Another innovative artist whose work I admire is Ajarn Kamin Lertchaiprasert, also a friend of mine. I’m intrigued by his conceptual thinking process and installation work, which takes a long period of time to complete _ sometimes more than a year. He once gave me a Buddha statue as a gift that was made solely from bank notes. 

a. “Buddha Statue” by Kamin Lertchaiprasert
     W: 11 cm/H: 29 cm
     www.31century.org

b. “Softwood Table” By Pan’s Shop
     W: 55 cm/L: 72 cm/H: 67 cm
     Pan’s Shop, Baan Tawai 
     Tel: 053 434 395, 053 434 399

c. “Spider Man” by Somsak Nonthakankit
    W: 20 cm/H: 43 cm
    Tel: 053 810 580 (speaks Thai only)

d. “Robot”  By Somsak  Nonthakankit
     W: 25 cm/H: 34 cm
     Tel:  053 810 580 (speaks Thai only)