Text and Photography FAWN KONGSIRI
Ploenchan “Mook” Vinyaratn’s creations have graced the walls of every major luxury hotel in Thailand and Asia. Her world is a tactile deamscape where nothing is too humble to be reborn as art. Thai patterns and experimental craft collide to create work that is deeply rooted in local heritage and refreshingly innovative.
Born in Bangkok but moving to the UK at the age of 13 and eventually studying textiles at Central Saint Martins, Mook’s creative philosophy has long been shaped by a cross-cultural exchange of ideas. It was during her woven textiles studies where she explored the tension between the richness of Thai craft and European design. Her response was to weave both into a language of her own.
Though Mook’s creations are rich in texture and visual intensity, her home tucked away under the cool shade of towering palms contains a quiet reverie. Warm tones of pink, orange, and yellow wash across the walls, offering vibrant yet serene backdrops for her woven pieces, which grace nearly every room.
Her studio which resides beneath her house is refreshingly unpretentious. Organised but buzzing with energy, it houses bundles of discarded materials, woven experiments, fibre bundles, and sketchbooks. Her process is grounded in tactility and repetition. She doesn’t work quickly. Her sculptures emerge over time, through intuition and a deep focus.
Mook Vinyaratn creates spaces and objects that invite us to slow down and look closely. In a world that prioritises the quick fix and is driven by lack of time , her work demands patience and presence, offering the possibility that the most unlikely materials can become
something meaningful.
SEE FULL STORY IN ARTIFACT ISSUE N°1