‘Baan Baat’ has been home to a small group of locals who have made their livings for centuries by producing hand-made alms bowls to be purchased by the faithful and donated to monks. The community continues to function today in the exact same location — and in much the same way — as it would have generations ago. As cheaper factory-made bowls are now the norm, the artisanal tradition has shrunk to one extended family.
After conversing with the artisans about this soon to be vanished traditional craftsmanship, I then questioned — what can we do, as designers, to create a system which conserves invaluable heritage and still allows it to evolve — how craft can survive in the future. This is an information gathering process for an on-going project, the solutions for this could either be workshops or sustainable tourism management.
Video Shot by Pear Valittiya
Video Edited by Anya Muangkote
Photo by Kamonnart Ongwandee
