Ban Kru Chang Som Sri Weaving Group (2023) by Marisa SrijunpleangU.S. Embassy Bangkok
This work began with dozens of in-depth conversations and in-person visits across the United States and Thailand and pays tribute to the traditions passed from mothers to daughters and honors the too often invisible labor of women.
Ban Kru Chang Som Sri Weaving Group (2023) by Marisa SrijunpleangU.S. Embassy Bangkok
I see the piece as a draped talisman that carries the incandescent spirit of community and mutual aid that I’ve had the privilege to behold during my travels.
Artist working in the studio (2023) by Danaya ChulphuthiphongU.S. Embassy Bangkok
I’ve sculpted, woven and knit together dozens of diverse interlocked fiber forms, lovingly crafted by many hands and many hearts, into an interwoven multicultural tapestry.
Bangkok Art and Culture Center has always felt like the right home for this work, a place that welcomes people from all walks of life to connect and discover, a place for art that everyday people fought for.
Ban Nongphai Papyrus Sedge Mat Group (2023) by Marisa SrijunpleangU.S. Embassy Bangkok
I hold space in the soaring atrium for the whispers and songs of our foremothers, their deep wisdom that remind us of our resilience, our ingenuity, our duty to protect our environment.
Again and again, the women of these textile communities told me their patterns and techniques were shaped by local flowers, fruit and trees, rice, soil, and rivers. They told me: “these patterns tell us who we are.”
My hope is that this monument to inheritance and bridge-building reminds us all of who we are. And each one of us has the potential to harness the legacies of our ancestors to work towards weaving a more just future.
Ban Non Chad Silkworm Cultivation Group (2023) by Marisa SrijunpleangU.S. Embassy Bangkok
Another refrain I heard in my conversations was about legacy: “Don’t forget me. Don’t forget us.” As a Thai-American artist, I feel a responsibility to fight cultural erasure and bear witness to the living heritage of these communities.
To synthesize these precious gifts of communal knowledge into a work of art that shines a light on the effortful, intricate processes of textile craft.
Dahla Batik (2023) by Marisa SrijunpleangU.S. Embassy Bangkok
This piece is for the unacknowledged, the forgotten, the unseen, a portal through which audiences can deepen their empathy for each other’s unique challenges and contributions. So together, we can reimagine a shared future filled with justice, belonging, and joy.
Continue your weaving journey From the Studio to the Installation
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