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Shoson Thatawakorn, founder of Thailand-based textile company Ausara, plays with fire for work

Textiles made from brass, torched copper, Banyan tree roots and even safety belts from cars exhibit the ability of textile company Ausara to find beauty and use in even the most unexpected materials. 

Shoson Thatawakorn, founder of Thailand-based textile company Ausara, plays with fire for work

Shoson Thatawakorn (Photo: Aik Chen/CNA)

According to Ausara’s website, its co-founder Shoson Thatawakorn “started off as a self-reclaimed scientist from a young age and experimented with fire, chemical reactions such as oxidations, and many more”.

It is intriguing but not far-fetched at all, when you realise this is literally what Thatawakorn does to create unusual textiles. He has made a wall covering with leopard skin-like pattern by applying flame and pressure onto stainless steel and brass fibre, artwork of woven leather and brass threads that floats in the air as if frozen in mid dance, and even textiles made from corn husks.  

“We are always playing with unusual materials. We even have a fabric made from recycled safety belts from cars,” said Thatawakorn. In the Ausara catalogue, these safety belt textiles are unrecognisable from their original utilitarian states. The Basher collection is a meticulous, metallic weave of deconstructed fibres from safety belts combined with pewter threads applied as wall coverings, while the Pindos line is a sheer fabric for curtains and blinds.

Shoson Thatawakorn uses textile techniques combined with new, interesting materials that work most of the time as vertical surfaces. (Photo: Ausara)

Thatawakorn was in Singapore for FIND Design Fair Asia that ran from Sep 26 to Sep 28 at the Sands Expo and Convention Centre. The trade fair presented the latest contemporary designs to the region and served as a meeting point for suppliers of furniture, lighting, kitchen, bathroom and homewares to the Asian market.

The articulate and amiable Thatawakorn exhibited a product designed for the Emerge @ FIND showcase, which was presented by the DesignSingapore Council and curated by the editor of Design Anthology magazine, Suzy Annetta. This year’s theme was Craft + Industry: Man + Machine, which highlights Southeast Asian contemporary designs that employs either one of these methods or both.

Thatawakorn’s contribution draped from the tall ceiling at the convention hall, defining and separating spaces. The copper fabric was created from the alchemy of copper and flame. Its tie-dye effect resembles the Japanese textile-dying technique of Shibori, with patterns spread unevenly across the fabric. 

“The colour and pattern came from using a blow torch, not from pigments. As no pigments are used, it’s good for nature in a way and it also doesn’t fade under UV light,” Thatawakorn explained on its functional properties.

The copper fabric (behind Thatawakorn) exhibited at this year's Emerge @ FIND showcase was created from the alchemy of copper and flame. (Photo: Aik Chen/CNA)

It was as intriguing as his presentation for last year’s FIND Design Fair Asia, where he created blinds made from the air roots of the Banyan tree, combined with hand-knotted copper wire. The former provides texture while the latter gives the surface shine.

“I would say our products are not really textiles; we use textile techniques but combined with new, interesting materials that work most of the time as vertical surfaces,” Thatawakorn explained. His textiles, applied mainly as wall coverings, window blinds and artwork, cater mainly to the luxury and hospitality market. The striking designs and unusual materials make them ideal backdrops in lounge areas and F&B spaces.

For instance, a handwoven copper fabric can be found in the ceiling of Andaz Pattaya, while in Shangri La Singapore, a shimmering brass wall artwork is patterned with an antique effect, inspired by techniques of Japanese kimono stitching and collage.

Ausara's striking designs and unusual materials are often found in lounge areas and F&B spaces. (Photo: Ausara)
(Photo: Ausara)

Does Thatawakorn see these products as blurring art and design? “Kind of. Almost 100 per cent are handmade so no pieces are really identical,” he responded. His customers are architects, designers and companies who are always looking for good-quality, handmade products.

Thatawakorn clearly enjoys doing what he does, exploring new methods and materials in a childlike manner, unencumbered by standards of the industry. A perpetual tinkerer, he shared that his creativity came from his grandfather. “I got my trading [savvy] from my parents who were businessmen. My grandfather was a district attorney but loved to do carpentry and made many small toys. He once made me a mini snooker table from rubber and recycled timber and also a parachute. I love what he did and grew up among tools,” Thatawakorn recollected.  

This was in an era before mass consumerism and the Internet when toys were not so easily available, and children had plenty of time to play and create. “One time, I chopped up my uncle’s guitar to turn it into a trolley. He was really upset, but I learn by doing things,” he laughed.

Thatawakorn went on to major in product design in ceramics and textiles in the Architecture School of King Mongkut Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) in Bangkok because “I thought that would answer my curiosity”. In school, he was exposed to many disciplines – furniture and product design, ceramics, textiles and so on. A meeting with Alexander Lamont cemented his future path. He joined the British designer in the early days when the eponymous brand was established. Then, they were the only a two-man team.

“Alex and I built the brand together. I took care of the technical and design development aspects while Alex was the creative,” said Thatawakorn, sharing that they explored the use of age-old or innovative techniques, as well as unexpected materials. 

After 11 years, he decided to venture out on his own and started Ausara to focus on textiles, seeking a wider audience base. “[With Alexander Lamont] we put in a lot of effort to create luxury furniture for a small number of clients each year. I thought that was a waste, as they are just hidden in private homes,” Thatawakorn shared. In Ausara, he wanted to explore a “similar DNA and the same concept of implementing materials but on a larger scale.”

He established Ausara with Jarupatcha Achavasmit, whose grandmother was a seamstress teacher in the Royal Palace. Thatawakorn met Achavasmit while studying at KMITL. The workshop is located in the outskirts of Bangkok and employs nine craftsmen and weavers who do not only come from this part of the world. Interestingly, two of them are from Belgium, who sought him out to learn his craft. “They don't want to use the computer. They said: ‘I want to learn to weave, to learn how to do the colouring, etc’. In Europe, such craft is becoming extinct. The current generation is becoming bored with modern, industrial products and are seeking new avenues of craftsmanship, which are only available in Asia.”  

Unlike mass-produced items, craft products are unique as they are handmade, and use natural materials or processes. “I think the beauty of natural products is in the non-uniformity of the patterns. For instance, we have patinated brass fabric by hand using chemicals made from vegetables. They are applied using sponges, sprays, and rubber rollers hence the result is unpredictable; we know it will produce a certain spectrum of colours but not a specific colour,” said Thatawakorn.

Almost 100 per cent of Ausara's products are handmade so no pieces are identical. (Photo: Ausara)

Such treatments also mean they are more durable and hence reduce wastage. “For example, we apply liquid metal to wall coverings to get a reflective effect. After a few years if there are some scratches, you can just sand them down and reapply the liquid metal. My stainless-steel textiles can also last many years; they will not fade even if the sun shines on it. It is five times more expensive than normal textiles, but you don't need to replace them for at least 20 years.” 

The price point means that Thatawakorn designs only for the niche luxury market. It is fitting, as the clients from this segment do not want something everybody has. “Nowadays, we are in the era of ‘too perfect’, where everything is machine made. That, for me, is the secret of luxury – it has to be special, only for you. Even if your neighbour has the same product, it’s not entirely the same.”  

When asked if he has ever thought of designing for the mass market, he shared that he is currently developing a series of unique paints. “I’ve been trying to create paints that capture light and then release it when the sun goes down, so the applied surfaces glow after dark. And, paints that give a marble effect after application. Hopefully, I can show something next year.”

Meanwhile, his portfolio continues to fill with other interesting bespoke projects, such as a 2,000 sq m metal fabric art installation for an airport in Southeast Asia. A crazier project is for The Line in Saudi Arabia. The US$48 billion (S$65.57 billion) linear, zero-carbon, smart building-cum-city in Neom stretches from the Red Sea to the City of Tabuk. It aims for completion in 2030.  

Thatawakorn on the project: “We are designing a stainless steel window fabric that can shield against solar rays. It’s going to be 170km-long and 500m- wide – like the Great Wall of China in the middle of the dessert. Have you seen the movie The Fifth Element? I think it’s going to be something like that. I’m looking forward to seeing it.

Source: CNA/bt
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