Close Window

Nida Wattanamit

"My name is Nida Wattanamit. I was born on May 13, 1975 in northeast Thailand. I studied food and nutrition science and graduated with a bachelor degree.

"In my village, we have been preserving an ancient craft down the centuries, passing down knowledge and techniques through the generations. This craft is the noble art of silk weaving. My house is the hub of the village. My parents receive orders from the merchants and assign accordingly the tasks to our neighbors. Some houses may solely weave while others may grow the silk worms or dye the threads. My own house grows the silk worms. When I was a child, everyday I fed the worms with leaves, especially from mulberry trees, before going to school. I was raised in this noble material environment without really being aware, not to say interested, of its cultural importance. As a young child, I always saw my parents and my neighbors weaving very beautiful silk cloths and hence took it for granted. But as I got a bit more mature, I wondered how such a little worm could produce such beautiful fabrics. My artistic interest and silk knowledge grew with the years.

"Silk was always on my mind and I knew that I would eventually go back home to help my family. I started by looking after our shop and, when my duty was done, would go and learn how to weave with old artisans and my elders. Learning the steps required attention, patience, humility, and much time. I knew nothing of this craft of ours back a few years ago and I am today quite proud to be more involved with my family life and silk weaving. I am also pleased to have somehow participated in the silk development, at least in my village. Today my family and I try and teach interested people and villagers our Isarn - northeastern Thailand - weaving craft.< br>
"The whole village and my own family are proud to work with Novica because it offers us an immense chance to present our old weaving craft to the whole world. I want to tell potential customers that our silks are handmade, that every step of the process is masterfully achieved thanks to skills and experience that span over 200 years. So, if you decide to buy a piece of this noble silk, whatever your choice might be, I promise that you will not regret it."