Artist Bio: Hassan of Fes
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007
Hassan has been making small wooden crafts in this tiny shop along the main ’souk’ street (a souk is a shopping area within a city) in Fes Morocco his entire life. So many generations of his family have worked in this tiny space he can’t even remember how many proceeded him. Every time I passed Hassan he had a big smile and wave for me. His work is featured in the ‘Artisans of Fes’ pamphlet.
Hajoub left school at the age of 7 and became an apprentice at a wood shop in Essaouira. He worked as an apprentice until he was 21 years old when he obtained the title of ‘Malam’ (professional wood worker). in 1978 he moved to France and worked for a good company and made good money.
‘Coin Des Berberes’ is a small Berber jewelry making cooperative located In the Tiznit Morocco, on the fringe of the Sahara desert. There are few tourists that actually make it to Tiznit due to the fact that it’s rather difficult to get to. The cooperative survives by sending most of it’s work to be sold in the larger more heavily tourist visited cities of Fez and Marrakesh. 15 extended families show their wares in this shop. Some work in the shop and others out of their homes.
Chiang Mai is home to the handicraft center in northern Thailand. Traditionally, silk worms are raised or collected to provide the artists with the delicate threads used to make their beautiful silk products. The thread itself comes from the cocoon of the worm, which is boiled and pulled out of the water carefully to be dried and spun on thread spindles. Chiang Mai is the largest and most culturally significant city in northern Thailand. Even before foreign influence was brought with tourism, Chiang Mai served as a trade port for paper products, wood carvings, and other traditionally made handicrafts. Now the city, which is more modern than most places in northern Thailand, is very popular with travelers. The unique local culture creates an atmosphere that is creative and curious and makes up the “handicraft center” of Thailand.
All around Thailand, a variety of brooms can be seen, ranging from beach brooms that rake to floor brooms that sweep. All created with natural grasses and sticks found locally, these broom artists can be found making these brooms all over Thailand: on sidewalks, in parks, and in their homes and villages.
Bamboo is a very important natural resource to Thai culture. It provides food, shelter, tools, and materials to create an array of handicrafts and household goods. Bamboo is similar to grass, and harvesting it causes little to no devastation to the environment. Mr. Soontorn and Mrs. Praphaisri Utranan, along with family, skillfully strip the bamboo wood to create thin but strong strips that can be wound and pressed together to create bowls, lamps, tables, and other unique products. The pieces are then painted and dried in the sun to add strength and durability. Just outside of Chiang Mai city, a large number of artisans with different unique skills reside. For many years, this historical city has been a trading center for arts and other goods. Now, although the city itself has changed dramatically, the local people still keep their traditions alive through crafts by creating for those interested locally and internationally. 
Adahm Mokdah is an artist that lives in the southwestern islands of Thailand. There he is accompanied by many other local Thais that are referred to as “chao leh” or “sea gypsies”. These unique and simple people live day to day making their living however they can, whether it be through fishing, crafting, or other various jobs created for the tourist industry. Adahm creates all of his necklaces with a special waxed hemp and all natural stones and shells. These necklaces have a unique look and last longer than most necklaces made of any other kind of rope or string. The waxed hemp is very durable and is mostly unaffected by moisture, which makes the necklace outlast most wear and tear. 
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