PANITA SIRIWONGWAN-NGARM (SHE/HER)
Visual Communication • mixed media illustrations • culture • intersectionality • genders • artivism
The Archive of Malai(s) 2023-present
[Ongoing project, speculative narrative, visual storytelling]
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An ongoing speculative visual storytelling project started from a research question: How can the untold struggles and aspirations of Thai women of diverse economic statuses, identities, and epochs be conveyed through a Thai contemporary artifact: 'Malai' or traditional Thai flower craft? It tells fictional stories of individuals, which are being weaved together from the remaining archives; memories, conversations, hidden histories, photographs, and objects.
The project aims to communicate hidden stories, to question and to comment on systemic oppression that has camouflaged within the old tradition and heritage, but at the same time try to preserve and reposition them into a modern society. Semi-surrealistic collage illustrations are used here as one of the best ways to connect fragmented elements altogether and fill in the missing gap that cannot be done through the traditional archaeological or historical process.’
As a student in the UK working on Thai heritage, there are several limitations in terms of research and resources. Thus, I took this concern as a prominent part of my project. I decided to use a speculative narrative as a way to embody the current distance between me and my home country; the disconnectivity and diasporic feeling I am experiencing at the moment.
[Visual explorations - feel free to drag these images around!]
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/3d58fc9d1cf05e6bb2f5077f38d78a96197416ee2f4a46dea221a267aea7ec40/OnesidedMalaiArtboard-6.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/cb992deb052b7beba7d04d00f8811740874fec1b02d9abdcf293872c35294ee8/OnesidedMalaiArtboard-2.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/95faed898331eeabc0165c2ba1772d36119eaf5cb816dd48ca7ebc0b4dcf640a/test2.psbArtboard-7.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/57ecaa20577a3476ce30edb555ed9b5cb9204fc5385e07afed75c7d351f13e05/CyaArchive2notext.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/067cd0a57b8e718a7bf1e3bfa59e870192e1ddaddc4ef84fa0c3192284213d23/OnesidedMalaiArtboard-1.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/f13075cb743a6893b5edbcabfcb5d5bddbe0234987d4d66ec969475192bd9532/OnesidedMalaiArtboard-3.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/b1685086e5e8aec7568a00e01cdcf7300f32ee98832f4d1e9743a381cb9b3550/OnesidedMalaiArtboard-4.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a09256430f11156863c9896b69c76e83c8b1b7a384d3dc7eb56bbf432a104277/test2.psbArtboard-13.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/be8472fd2800496dff0f1a7e1daf9e8f840de478fdb224482899ec3e5da8c203/8minsff3.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/6bc89ad713ff6fcf6e9450a0e1f625b11e1574de825a5493088712a53e190309/MailaiG.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/a439531dd31638e25d715412ed8e4dd9ffc90d7e75a7ebce4532487bd8f6d69c/OnesidedMalaiArtboard-5.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/506a4b7bce06c6c358f1d76709eb4900deae722ca00417aa7b0745d97fee7fa3/test.jpg)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/5fd372059b3d51436194e36844583cba779eef70a929962b7c199692ac9243b9/CyaArchive1lighttext.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fb645512cf7aaae0b10dda75086e08f776df6116392a9ec3850abb20f1c42c53/malai.png)
![](https://freight.cargo.site/t/original/i/fc40b7240155842c2f25eebe286e0f190aba035da2170ff57d1005eda8d69ac7/test2.psbArtboard-11.jpg)