If you have a chance to visit a house in Southern Thailand, you will notice that most houses have one thing in common: the wooden bird cages. Bird singing competitions have been a big thing in the South for decades. People don’t only raise birds as a hobby, but also for sport. These bird cages are an inspiration for Nakhon Si Thammarat-based designer Supachai Klaewtanong, founder of Nakkhid Studio and design brand TIMA.
Combining the traditional birdcage structure with the natural shape of “Jaak” or Nipa palm, a plant commonly found in the region, he created a new lamp collection that retells the local way of life through simple forms. The design are easy to reproduce by local craftsmen and made with affordable materials. The lamp collection was later extended into a furniture collection.
Supachai has won many awards, including the Innovative Craft Award 2015 by SACICT, DE Mark Award 2015 by DITP and Designer of the Year 2017 from Silpakorn University and DITP. He also had a chance to represent Thailand in Milan Design Week 2016 and Maison & Objet 2018. In 2015, he founded TIMA, a design brand whose name came from the Malay word ‘Timba’ or water container. The brand is a tool to further his vision to elevate the Southern Thai cultural heritage to the next level.
