Handcrafted Suede Sling in Olive from Thailand, "Simply Bohemian in Olive"

"My name is Panchai Ketkaew and I was born on October 11, 1966. I live a quiet life, abiding by Buddha's teachings. I do merit in ways such as offering foods to monks early in the morning. I participate in the ceremonies, festivals and religious days of Songkran, Loy Kratong, Buddhist Lent, etc. I like to help those who need assistance, especially old or disabled people. I love nature, dogs and cats. I listen to music, read and travel. I am excited and enjoy it when discovering new and different things.

"I remember falling in love when I discovered art in primary school. Beautiful things then attracted me. I learned arts and got the highest grades in school. I have always been very happy when creating artwork. When I graduated, my teacher suggested that I should continue studying art. I did for a while, but wasn't able to graduate because my mother couldn't support my studies any longer.

"Around 1987 I worked in a brass foundry in Bangkok. Next I worked with clay in northeast Thailand for three years. Then in 1992, I went to Lampang and started making ceramics. I wanted to learn various artistic techniques, discover new materials, develop new skills and gain experience. I thought I should keep on searching and learning new techniques so as to become more open and knowledgeable. When I have time, I attend art exhibitions.

"I have been practicing various Thai artistic styles since 1995. Now I have developed my own style and work a lot with my imagination. It is always challenging to learn and work with something new. Yet I still like to create all sorts of new works – I am presently working with papier mache. I hope to keep on creating new artworks and increasingly develop my style. Using new techniques and new material to create new artistic styles is my life. It is a never-ending journey."