“Weaving has its own soul,” as expressed by ‘Mae Mae’, or the aunties and grannies from a weaving community, became a profound source of inspiration. These words are shared by Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, a Thai-American multidisciplinary artist, through her latest project, ‘Weaving Our Stories’.
“I was thinking about the interconnectedness of our community,” said Amanda. “When you think about weaving, you have the woof and the warp right? Things are over under over under. Things are both hidden and in the open and I feel like that very much exemplifies all of the effort that it takes to build a community, to foster cooperation and to sustain a living heritage. This is why weaving felt right.”
While in New York, Amanda, an artist with an activist’s heart, is best known for launching a public art campaign addressing racism against Asians. Now, in Thailand, she has spent six months visiting 42 traditional weaving communities across the country, collaborating with them to elevate Thailand’s weaving heritage.
Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya, a Thai-American multidisciplinary artist with Mae Mae
In an exclusive interview, Thai PBS World talked to Amanda and U.S. Ambassador Robert F. Godec about the intricacies of this monumental piece. The artwork represents 190 years of ties between Thailand and the United States, manifested through heritage weaving styles that adorn three floors of the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre.
U.S. Ambassador Robert F. Godec and Amanda Phingbodhipakkiya
“I think that we share that history. So, I think this amazing installation really brings together our histories, reflecting the connection between our communities and our people in a very powerful way,” said Robert F. Godec.
“It shows how, together, we’ve woven an extraordinary past and it imagines an even more exceptional future. A future where both the Thai and the American people are really building for themselves and for the world.”
-Intricate detail-
Amanda explains that her inspiration came from the simplicity of the weaving patterns created by ‘Mae Mae’. She realised that the patterns symbolise the spirit of water, trees, the forests, rivers and the sea.
As such, her artwork aims to capture the spirit of these communities, the local heritage and the deep connection with the cycle of nature, as if the patterns originate in the forests and return to the sea.
In this endeavor, Amanda has worked with American artists to create a fusion of Thai weaving heritage and American sewing techniques, which have become key aspects of her piece.
“My favorite thing about this piece is how so many techniques from across the United States and Thailand come together to weave this beautiful monument, when our ideas, when people brush up against each other and really create together. That’s when possibilities unfold and that’s when things are born.”
Speaking of American techniques, Amanda pointed out see-through yellow in circular pieces gathered at the edge of the installation, using the ‘Yo Yo’ phenomenon. It comes from the 1920s, when women on a budget in the U.S. made clothes from fabric scraps, old bed sheets and leftover feed sacks. Amanda said she used this technique, because it illustrates the sense of sustainability in creating from what we have, as well as bringing out American fashion history.
“You know, let’s make it from what we have. The sense of sustainability. Why do we need so many things? We can look around and together be creative and reimagine what is possible.”
‘Yo Yo’ phenomenon
The piece also shows hidden journeys. Amanda sees more and more people falling in love with Thai fabrics, including herself. It was not until she sat with ‘Mae Mae’ and learned, step by step, how such fabric is woven, when she truly appreciated the delicate-yet-unseen process of creating one piece of cloth.
“There’s so much happening in the background and we don’t necessarily know every single piece.”
Another message she wanted to convey is that weaving textiles can be a metaphor that is carrying people through their lifetime.
“I think what is so powerful about textiles is they are like a second skin and they are a material that with which we are so familiar,” she explains. “We wear it every day from when we come into the world; it is the first thing that touches us when we are born and it wraps us up when we leave. It’s something that carries us through life.”
When Amanda sat down with Mae Mae from local communities in Thailand and cooperated shoulder-to-shoulder with American artists in Brooklyn, New York, they created this collaborative showcase.
“I hope that this work uplifts their incredible talent, wisdom and craft and I hope that the world sees them. I hope that more folks support their work and their communities and, frankly, I hope I can go back and spend time with them, you know.”
-Interconnectedness-
The key to this piece is to take it in until you find the interconnected spirit between Thailand and the United States. Amanda and the US Ambassador are urging more people, especially the younger generation, to appreciate the central message of interconnectedness when they look at this art installation.
“I want to encourage them to actually come and spend time with this work, because I think, when they spend time with it, they will see that the weave of the past defines hope and chance. They will see the blend of Thai and American weaving techniques, just textiles together and creating something new,” said Amanda.
“As you take it in, if you look at it from different angles, you see so many aspects of nature,” said US Ambassador Robert F. Godec. “Certainly, it’s like an ancient forest, canopy or water, but you can also see again the interconnectedness, different threads that connect the artwork. You also see us. You can see ourselves, we can see the Thai people, you can see Americans and how we are all so closely connected.”
The exhibition is currently taking place at the Bangkok Arts and Culture Center until June 25th, where visitors can explore the intricate tapestry of interconnected narratives woven into the fabric of art.
by Warissara Sae-han, Thai PBS World
