OUR ARTISTS

TEMPLEBOY VI

The objective of my work is to represent knowledge through aesthetics. Specifically, these pieces are artistic replicas of historical Thai cities and places using upcycled paper, most commonly Sangsom liquor boxes. My drive stems from my fascination in history, city layouts, and models. I'm from Bangkok. I’m from Koh Lanta Krabi. I’m from Port Angeles in Washington State USA. In Bangkok I spend every available moment visiting temples or historical sites. In Koh Lanta I spend every available moment making models of temples or historical sites. In Port Angeles as a kid, I used to draw roads in the dirt, and make cities out of rock. I made a 1:1000 scale model of 1880s Bangkok and 1700s Ayutthaya due to my deep fascination with Thai temples and history. Before the introduction of the skytrain, 7-11s, skyscrapers, and paved roads, gold spired temples dominated the lush green landscape of old Siam. Visitors from all over the world in the 1600s regarded Ayutthaya, Siam’s capital before Bangkok, to be the most beautiful city in the world. Parisiens, sent by King Louis XIV’s court at Versailles, claimed that Ayutthaya was larger and more beautiful than Paris itself. Ayutthaya was the biggest city in the world at its peak, and is today in ruins. The temples of Bangkok were built out of the bricks of the former Ayutthaya. The epic nature of Bangkok's Wat Arun and Grand Palace made me wonder, what did Bangkok look like when these were first built? And the ruins of Ayutthaya; what did the city look like when the bricks were gold spires. Seven years ago I set myself a goal, to be able to make paper models of temples and to be good at it. I built these models to scale the height and length of every temple. And all 346 of them are researched for historical and dimensional accuracy. My Bangkok and Ayutthaya models took two years each. Every day is spent gluing and attaching toothpicks and upcycled paper which are all donated to me from establishments from all over Koh lanta. This journey has allowed me to accumulate knowledge of history, and the city’s spatial layout. This journey has allowed me to develop a unique aesthetic within modelmaking and upcycling. I take this journey because I love it. The scope of my work is to represent knowledge, appreciation of beauty and culture