Thailand Adventure, Part 2 - Craft & Design

Before I left for Thailand, several people suggested the trip would have an impact on my work. I'm not sure how much the mostly rustic palm and rubber wood chairs and benches I saw will directly influence my work. More likely, I've been influenced by the Thai people's relationship to working and living in the lush, yet challenging landscape and the influence of the uniquely Thai idea of "mai ben rai", or "nevermind", "don't worry about it", "it's okay". My relatives who harvest rubber, durian or coconuts, or clean and cure fish work long and odd hours. And while they sometimes start and end in the wee hours of the morning, day after day, giving all they have, while never showing the slightest bit of worry or negativity. It still feels wonderful to remember how simple, yet fulfilling everyone's lifestyle seemed to be.


I suppose in some ways the woodworking and furniture design reflected this idea too. Most of the chairs and benches I saw were simply constructed, opting for nails over any kind of complex joinery. The decorations were often geometric patterns, subtle curves and naturalistic carvings of animals in palm or rubber wood. You might notice from some of the pictures I've shared that palm and rubber trees are plentiful. I didn't see as much teak as I thought I would.

Surprisingly, I saw very similar designs in most of the wood furniture as are demonstrated in the photo on the right. This was true for other wooden objects, as well.

Like the rubber trees that I was so infatuated with, the bird cages that peppered the houses and businesses throughout the Surat Thani province have become symbols of my trip. The designs of the cages I saw were rough in the sense that they weren't finely sanded or finished. But they were delicate in their use of thin rods for the bars and intricately sawn decorations and turned handles. Of all the souvenirs I brought back, this was my favorite, and I hope it finds a good place in its planned home. I got a lot of weird looks while carrying it through all the airports, and my wife's family seemed a little perplexed that I had bought a bird cage, but didn't have a bird to put in it. Niz's uncle, Na Sok, even chuckled at me when he picked us up at the airport on our return leg. I found out when we got back to the U.S. that he keeps and shows doves. I wish I would have known while we were there; I probably could have talked him into showing them to me, and I would have had another venture on my hands...

Besides bird cages, many families had outdoor wooden shrines of varying sizes painted in bright, opaque colors, though the general shape and design of each was the same. Many family homes and public spaces also had concrete tables and benches painted with bright colors, similar to the designs shown in the photo on the right.

Looking through the hundreds of photos we took during our 3 weeks in Thailand, I realize there's still quite a bit I want to share. I'll post one  more wrap-up of the trip, featuring what I saw at the Big Buddha shrine, in Phuket.