Traversing across Isan and Okinawan Textiles

Assistant Professor Warin Boonyaputthipong
Lecturer of the Faculty of Architecture, Khon Kaen University (Thai)

Born in Chiangmai, Assistant Professor Warin Boonyaphuthipong graduated with her Ph.D. in Arts and Cultural Research, from the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Khon Kaen University. Currently, she is working as an Assistant Professor at the Department of Industrial Design, Faculty of Architecture Khon Kaen University. She has her expertise in textile design and experiences in teaching, conducting research, designing printed publications, and installing textile exhibitions. Also, she provides academic services including workshops which supported communities for commercial product development. Moreover, she received several grants for training and doing research overseas, including the Japan Foundation Asia Center Fellowship Program which enabled her to conduct a comparative study on Okinawa and Isan Dyeing and Weaving at Okinawa, Japan in 2016.

Ms. Miyagi Nana
Researcher at the Research Center on Ryukyu Cultural Asset Office at Okinawa Churashima Foundation Center (Japan)

Miyagi is from Kijyoka, Ogimi village in Okinawa, where she grew up with Bashou (banana leaf) thread making close at hand by her grandmother. Miyagi remembers the whole process of peeling, boiling and spinning the thread as a part of her harmonious scenery of her childhood. All the moments with her grandma with her exposure to its texture and aroma under sunlight and pleasant breeze of Okinawa remains vibrant in her reminiscence, triggering Miyagi’s career in making clothes.

Also fascinated by the sophisticated textures of Ryukyu period’s costumes with a sense of transparency, and the extensity of its patterns, Miyagi started her research in dyeing and weaving of traditional textiles in her master’s degree. Nowadays, she has been researching on the textures and the Miezu patterns from archives, empirical evidences and its production process.

Mr. Suzuki Shuji
CEO of YUIMARLU OKINAWA (Japan)

Suzuki started working for YUIMARLU OKINAWA in 1988 and has been the president of the company from 2010. 

He started to produce brands of Okinawan handicraft, including that of Ryukyu glass and pottery, and those in collaboration with Okinawa Prefectural University of Arts. Nowadays, Suzuki puts efforts into resolving issues for Okinawa Craft Industry, and is taking part in product development project with Okinawa Prefectural Government and also managing the project of skills development of textiles artists.

Ms. Kanchana Shnatepaporn
The founder of  BWILD byHeart (Thai)

Kanchana graduated from the College of Graduate Study in Management majoring in Business Administration, Khon Kaen University. In 2003, she went back home to help her family’s fabric store in Khon Kaen. She initially learned to sew and eventually fell love with it so much that she opened her own tailor shop called “byHeart.” Later in 2019, Kanchana founded BWILD byHeart, a small community that provides an opportunity for young designers and local artisans to create great works by utilizing local wisdom in the northeast or “Isan” with its unique identity. BWILD byHeart then promotes the making of arts and crafts that reflect designers and makers’ initiatives with sufficient income for them to sustain their family while being able to work happily at their hometown.

Ms. Khanittha Nualtaranee
Textiles Designer of Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage (Thai)

As a textile artist and designer specializing in surface and woven design, Khanittha graduated with her Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Design in Thailand and further developed her interests in textile art and craftmanship through her Master’s Degree in textile art and design at Aalto University, School of Arts, Design and Architecture in Helsinki, Finland. She expresses her signatures through her works by using sophisticated techniques with various material to highlight and reinterpret the aesthetic of traditional textiles in the contemporary contexts. Currently, Khanittha is a head of textile design at Mae Fah Luang Foundation under Royal Patronage and also founder of her textile studio “Kaniit.Textile” for creative and experimental projects.

Assistant Professor Watchara Suraya
Lecturer of Faculty of Education, Khon Kaen University (Thai)

Born in Ubonratchathani, Watchara graduated from University of the Ryukyus with a Ph.D in Comparative Culture & Area Studies in Okinawa under the Japanese Government Scholarship ( MEXT). She spent time living there for seven years. Nowadays, Watchara is a professor in the Department of Japanese language teaching at the Faculty of Education at Khon Khaen University.