Thai designer Korakot Aromdee combines natural materials from his home country with traditional techniques to produce pieces which weave and intertwine with regional flair.
His habit of designing pieces which are honest expressions of his own way of life and upbringing imbues his work with a striking sense of personal connection.
Aromdee was taught kite-making methods by his grandfather, an expert on Chula kite, and has embraced these techniques within his own designs. It is this respect for old approaches which elevates his work and secures it authenticity.
Gaining inspiration from the environment and using materials such as bamboo and hemp rope, Aromdee is an example of a designer using his products to communicate his own life story.
Due to the materials and techniques employed, Aromdee’s range of products capture the tones of his Thai home. Complexly, they also reflect modern styles and colours, ensuring that any single piece demonstrates a uniting of distinctly different modes of design.
Korakot Aromdee acknowledges the potential of his work to improve the lifestyles of those within his community and constantly strives to make this a reality.
“I offer career opportunities for the locals and by doing so the community will be strengthened,” he explains. “Design can better the society if we make good use of it.”
Aromdee bestows even more power on design by understanding its ability to not only provide locals with livelihood but also to preserve and celebrate Thai culture and identity.
He founded his company, Korakot International Limited Partnership, in 2006 employing just ten workers from within his village with the hope of using design to promote better lifestyle and broaden Thai influence.
Since that time Aromdee has extended his team to 60 people and hopes to include other community members in the future.
Korakot Aromdee
korakot.net
