Artist Bio: Lotus Shop
Wednesday, August 1st, 2007
In a small shop in northern Thailand, pieces of fabric made by surrounding hill tribes are collected, hand stitched, and sewn together to create unique styles for pants, skirts, shirts, dresses, bags, and shoes. The Kareang hill tribe resides in the surrounding mountains where they spend time skillfully hand sewing colorful threads together to create beautiful patterns and traditional art. Pai is a small village located in northern Thailand that has a relaxed and fresh atmosphere. Located in the mountains, travelers from all around come to experience this little piece of paradise for themselves. The streets are lined with many small foreign influenced cafes and clothing shops, along with the street vendors marketing local foods.
Kham is a silk weaver living in Vientiane, Laos. Along with a small number of weavers, they create beautifully weaved patterns on their hand and foot operated looms in her small shop. Silk, sometimes mixed with cotton, is used to make unique wall hangings, table runners, skirts, and scarves. Each piece is unmatched as every thread is weaved intricately together with skills that have been traditionally passed down through the generations. Vientiane is the capital city of Laos and is located in northwestern Laos along the Thailand border and Mekong River. Built with a large amount of French influence, the city is made of old colonial buildings with balconies and chipped paint. The Mekong River, considered the 10th largest river in the world, runs through Vientiane and provides an alternative transportation for locals and travelers alike.
Kat Kow Coconut is a small shop located on Koh Yao Noi, an island off the coast of the south-western side of Thailand, in the Andaman Sea. Run by about 20 artists in the community, Kat Kow Coconut uses natural materials traditionally, such as coconuts and palm tree resources, to make housewares, jewelry, and other commonly used Thai products that are used by the locals and international consumers alike. The artists of Kat Kow Coconut are continuing to rebuild their community since the tsunami hit in 2004, and every purchase helps to bring additional income into their community. 
Two hill tribes found in northern Thailand, Laos, China, and Myanmar are the Karen and the Akha. These people live in small villages deep in the mountains, where they farm, craft, and raise their families.
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. 
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