Woven Shade

Woven Shade is a story of Thai folk art and craft which connects hands and material, past and present, Thailand and Britain. Created for London Craft Week, the showcase draws inspiration from the craft of Lamphun in Northern Thailand, where generations of artisans have shaped natural fibres into objects for daily life.

At the heart of the work is the form of the hat, an object of shelter, labour, and identity. In Thai agricultural communities, woven hats protect farmers from the sun, while in Britain, hats carry their own language of ceremony and social tradition. Though shaped by different climates and histories, both cultures share a deep relationship with craft as a reflection of living.

Textile and cultural design specialist Namfon Laistrooglai and her team reinterpret traditional Thai folk craft techniques into contemporary forms. Natural materials are bent, interlaced, and layered, allowing structure to emerge through rhythm and repetition. The woven surfaces filter light and cast shadows, creating a quiet sense of movement like breath, like wind through fields.

The showcase invites viewers to consider weaving not only as a technique, but as a metaphor. Each crossing fibre suggests dialogue; each constructed form holds memory. Through making, distant geographies feel closer.

Presented at London Craft Week, the Woven Shade celebrates craftsmanship as a universal language, one that binds cultures through material, gesture, and the enduring beauty of the handmade.