Residency Program: Overseas Creators Collaboration

When Homecoming Creators Join Hands with Foreign Artists in Making Pottery Inspired by ‘Rice’

The Homecoming Creators and Overseas Creators Collaboration in Residency Program is a joint effort launched by CEA Chiang Mai, Japan Foundation, and Taiwan Designers’ Web with the goal to develop and connect networks of local creators on an international scale. During the program, Japanese and Taiwanese ceramicists have been invited to live in Chiang Mai to learn the local ways of life and come up with collaborative projects with local studios in town. Throughout the period of one month (between August and September of 2024), exhibitions have been held to showcase the results of the mutual learning process under the theme of ‘Start from the Rice’

Jirawong Wongtra-ngan and Muneaki Iwashita

The overseas creators participating in the program are Muneaki Iwashita, a ceramic artist and the sixth-generation successor of Iwashita Pottery based in Mashiko, Japan, and Lydia (Chia, Hsun-Ning), a ceramic artist and the manager of Nie Studio in Taipei, Taiwan, with each of them residing at In-Clay Pottery Studio, run by Chi-Jiraong Wongtra-ngan, and Charm Learn Studio, owned by Mick-Nattapol Wannaphorn, respectively.

Chia, Hsun-Ning and Nattapol Wannaphorn

Along with the exchanges of ideas, skills, and experience between Japanese, Taiwanese, and Thai creators, Mick and Chi also stepped up as guides, taking the guest artists on a tour of creative districts and leading ceramic production sites in the Northern Region. They made a visit to such destinations as Chiang Mai Arts and Cultural Centre and Lanna Folklife Museum in the Old Town area to learn more about the city’s history and traditional ways of life, Muang Kung Village, an historical ceramic manufacturing site of the north, and notable ceramic manufacturers like Dhanabodee ceramic factory in Lampang and Earth & Fire Studio in Chiang Mai, as well as several other artist studios across the city.

Moreover, during the residency program, the four ceramic artists were given the assignment of making a new set of pottery under the theme of ‘Start from the Rice,’ the results of which were put on display at Anantara Chiang Mai Resort on 8 September 2024.

Starting off Muneaki, who was inspired by ‘hor tong’ (banana leaf wrapper), a traditional way of packing sticky rice and other food in the north. Founding his work on this idea, he finished the piece with sculptures of an elephant, the symbol of Chiang Mai city, and tapir, an animal believed by the Japanese to be the eater of nightmares. Back in his hometown, Muneaki has also been working on a series of ceramic works inspired by tapir for Iwashita Pottery.

“I saw a banana leaf wrapper for the first time when I came to Thailand. It serves both as an amazing food container and package. I’m impressed with its simple functions and the genius of the locals in employing natural material as a sustainable container. So, I adopted the idea in making the pottery, maintaining the original function as a food container. At the same time, I want to make it a kind of souvenir and decorative piece, so I insert the symbol of Chiang Mai and that of my hometown into the work, which helps reduce the density and heftiness of the main piece,” said Muneaki.

Meanwhile, Chi-Jirawong, the host who opened up his In-Clay Studio for Muneaki’s residency, chose to present his set of ceramic works under the concept of Rice Grains: Farming, Cooking, and Forming, focusing on the traditional ways of rice cultivation, the custom of preparing a meal with several kinds of food, and the difference in the shape of each rice grain and germ. The products are made into bowls in the form of cross-sectioned rice grains in various sizes, with the surface glazed into the milky white color similar to the actual rice.

“I’m interested in the process of Long Khaek, or the labor exchange in rice cultivation. It reflects the harmony and bonds among farmers. So, apart from replicating the shape of rice grains, I chose to make food containers of several shapes to simultaneously reflect the Thai custom of sharing a meal together,” stated Chi.

Impressed by her encounter with plastic baskets holding khanom jeen (rice noodle) at Warorot Market, Lydia, a Taiwanese artist staying at Charm Learn Studio, developed a shape of her work utilizing the technique of ceramic weaving, not unlike what she has achieved in her famous project titled Fiber Ceramic, where she incorporated ropes into the process of making pottery. In addition, Lydia also came up with a series of ceramic sculptures, in which she experimented in using rice grains as one of the materials in different ways, such as blending rice grains with clay before shaping and baking, decorating the surface of the works with rice, and producing layered effect on the sculptures with rice.

“Having lived in Chiang Mai for almost a month, I’m impressed with the charm borne of diverse cultures of people here, as well as the marriage between the old and the new, which can be found in creative spaces throughout the city. And as I’m interested in experimenting to look for new possibilities in combining materials, working here has been especially enjoyable for me,” said Lydia.

Last but not least we have Mick of Charm Learn Studio who was inspired by the Northern custom (and also one shared across ASEAN region) of eating sticky rice with hands. Merging this with a fun gimmick of integrating fingernail brass accessories worn by Northern traditional dancers into his work, Mick produced a series of ceramic called ‘Len-Gin-Tae’ (Journey with Sticky Rice), where he presented a set of food containers into which users need to put their fingers.

“In fact, my studio is located beside rice fields, but the chance to go back and investigate the way of life and arts and culture community in my hometown Chiang Mai throughout the course of one month has enabled me to see our culinary culture, especially sticky rice in Chiang Mai, in a new light. So, I want to apply the customary way of preparing a local meal into the making of these imaginary bowls,” stated Mick, who has made a name for himself as a designer who takes his inspiration in creating contemporary ceramic works from the Thai traditional lifestyles.

These are some of the outcomes made by the four creators from the three countries who joined in the CEA’s Homecoming Creators and Overseas Creators Collaboration in Residency Program. Not only will the artists expand the products from this program into merchandises for sale later (they will also be featured in the exhibition during the 2024 Chiang Mai Design Week in this December), the exchange of ideas and experience throughout the course of a month program will also ignite their passion for the projects to come.

What’s undeniably important is this program reveals new possibilities in cross-cultural exchanges, offering opportunities for local creators to shine in international markets in the future.

Not only have Chi and Mick been such incredible hosts, recently some works by In-Clay Studio and Charm Learn Studio have been selected by MUJI Thailand to be developed as merchandise under the Found MUJI Thailand project. The products are scheduled to be put on sale in MUJI branches at One Siam, Bangkok, and MUJI Flagship Store at Central Chiang Mai Airport, Chiang Mai, this coming November.