Wonderfruit Festival
On 16th - 19th February 2017
At Siam Country Club, Pattaya
I was delighted to be involved in a cross cultural collaborative project with the British Council (Thailand) at Wonderfruit Festival, an annual celebration of art, music and life, on 16th - 19th February 2017, at Siam Country Club, Pattaya, Thailand.
This installation reflects the cultural collaboration of the UK and Thailand, and the meaning of craft in both countries.
Pavilion
It was a privallage and wonderful experince to work collaboratively with Thai designers; Saruta Kiatparkpoom, Vassana Saima, and Piboon Amornjiraporn, to explore the meaning of craft, sustainability, and innovation.
We established the concept to combine patterned recycled metal with bamboo elements. I took inspiration from my interest in transforming 2D to 3D forms to establish the form of the pavilion, which comprises of rows of twisted metal arches made from scrap metals from Saruta’s factory in Bangkok to form an immersive installation. This structure was then detailed by Saruta and Piboon.
We drew upon a love of repitition to created a bamboo canopy made of bamboo 4500 fish, working with bamboo expert Vassana and bamboo weavers in the north of Thailand. We established the froms by exploring natural phenomena of murmuration in birds and shoals of fish. The pavillion explores lines, density and subtle changes of light and is responsive to the elements.
We had an excellent team on site of metal welders, volounteers and support from the festival organisers and the British Council.
We are all pleased that it will be perminantly installed at the extraordianary new arts space ChangChui in Bangkok from April 2017. More information: http://www.changchuibangkok.com/
Profiles of Designer Makers
Naomi McIntosh www.naomimcintosh.com
Naomi studied architecture at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London, before earning her Master’s degree in design from Central Saint Martins. Her architectural background helped develop a signature language with a focus on form, clean lines and with a strong attention to detail. She works with materials that allow the intricate nature of the work to be visible.
Saruta Kiatparkpoom www.pinmetallife.com
Saruta or Pin is well known for her metal home décor and art pieces which are intricately designed and inspired by her surroundings and local traditions. Pin grew up in a family-owned steel company, and her primary passion is to recycle worthless steel debris from the factory into valuable home decors. Pin has won numerous design awards and has participated in exhibitions abroad including in the UK.
Vassana Saima
Vassana is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Fine Arts and Architecture, Rajamangala University of Technology Lanna in Chiang Mai. Apart from teaching, which is her passion, she has worked tirelessly together with local basket weaving communities to collect traditional designs and patterns for their preservation, before reinterpreting them into new forms. Vassana works only on handwoven bamboo lamps and her “Bird Nest” lamp won first prize from the Innovative Craft Award by The SUPPORT Arts and Craft International Center of Thailand in 2012.
Piboon Amornjiraporn http://www.pluraldesigns.net/
Piboon’s background is in architectural design, but currently he is interested in furniture design and woodworking. His works combines forms, materials, functions, and making processes to create everyday art pieces with high quality craftsmanship, which reflect the name of the studio - Plural Designs. He combines factory process with digital fabrication and fine craftsmanship. He has won a number of design awards including Demark and G-Mark.
For more information, please visit http://wonderfruitfestival.com/