Designed by Le Corbusier
Contents 16-19 22-31 32-89 90-103 104-135 136-159 160-170 Introduction My Inspiration My Furniture Design “Sasipawan Wisdom Center” Furniture Wood Sculptures Wood Carvings Woodcrafters
Whenever I have the opportunity to visit Europe, and especially Scandinavia, I enjoy visiting the various museums there. In design
This chair attracts the attention of visitors and invites me to take a closer look. As I observe the details, I discover that the chair is made of walnut wood, with a seat of beautifully woven string, the two materials complement each other seamlessly. The description says it was designed. Though the original chair is kept in a museum, it is still being reproduced for sale to this day. The chair looks graceful,
Many of his designs are recognized by designers the world over and are still being produced today.
as a tribute to the timeless beauty of his work which has been a model for modern furniture design over the years. His works have been
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Lounge Chair I
Year : 2000
No. : SY 2000-21
Title : Lounge Chair I
Material : Old Teak Wood
Dimensions : 0.46 x 0.50, H. 1.10 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
This chair was fabricated from old teak which was originally a rice barge that was over 80 years old. Timber selected from the timber mill were oversized and thicker than standard planks. Some pieces were a specialized form as they were produced to be parts of a barge. The backrest was designed to retain its original form, adding a unique dimension to the chair that alludes to the spirit of the antique barge from which it originated. This chair was fabricated for display in a furniture exhibition in the year 2000 and was purchased.
Fishtail Chair
Year : 2000
No. : SY 2000-22
Title : Fishtail Chair
Material : Daeng Wood (Thai Redwood)
Dimensions : 0.35 X 0.40, H. 1.10 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
This chair is called the “Fishtail Chair” as its curved wooden backrest resembles a fishtail. This piece of wood was procured from a timber mill belonging to a furniture maker. It was presumed to come from parts of a boat. I selected these for their unusual form and imagined that if they were assembled into a chair, the results would be very interesting. When it was completed, it was displayed in an exhibition and purchased for use in guestrooms in a hotel in Bangkok. One hundred reproductions of this chair were subsequently made.
Paddy Field Chair
Year : 2000
No. : SY 2000-29
Title : Paddy Field Chair
Material : Old Teak Wood
Dimensions : 0.60 x 1.60, H. 1.10 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
This bench lounger was produced from pieces of reclaimed wood from an old disused rice wagon. These wagons, once out of use, were dismantled and repurposed by farmers into furniture for sale. The dismantled pieces of wood came in various shapes and sizes, which the carpenter and I selected to fabricate the bench lounger shown in the photo. I tried to preserve the characteristics of a rice wagon in reminiscence of Thailand’s olden day rural atmosphere.
Welcome Table
Year : 2000
No. : SY 2000-33
Title : Welcome Table
Material : Old Wood
Dimensions : 0.50, H. 0.60 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
I went to visit the carpenter’s factory and found a round piece of timber that resembled a wooden tray. The piece must have been very old, judging from the condition of the wood surface which appears to have weathered decades of sun and rain. The carpenter helped to come up with ideas on what to produce with it. At the time I had designed a series of large, heavy chairs, so I decided to design a small table which is also partly a sculptural piece. The intended function is simple, to draw the attention of visitors who arrive at the house. It was displayed in an exhibition and was reserved by a buyer on the first day. After the exhibition this table went on its new journey, and we have not seen it since.
A Man and a Woman Wooden Bench II
Year : 2001
No. : B 2001-08
Title : A Man and a Woman Wooden Bench II
Material : Old Railway Hardwood Timber
Dimensions : 0.60 x 1.60, H. 1.00 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
House Chair I
Year : 2005
No. : H 2005-07
Title : House Chair I, Ekkamai 10
Material : Old Wood
Dimensions : 0.50 x 0.80, H. 1.30 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
This chair was designed to be placed at the front of our house, as a place to sit and wear shoes or wait to get into the car. Proportions were designed to be taller and wider than normal chairs to give it an elegant look and resemble an ‘art piece’ decorating the space in front of the home. The original was a natural wood color, and after 5 years the color was changed to black. This gave it a different, modern chic look. The timber for the seat was shaved by the carpenter as per the design sketch, making it look lighter and more delicate. Currently (in 2022), the chair has been re-colored to red, as pictured here.
BH Chair I
Year : 2010
No. : BH 2010-34
Title : BH Chair I, Sukhumvit 26
Material : Maca Wood
Dimensions : 0.55 x 1.20 m, H. 1.30 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
This casual chair is designed for use at the Blue Harbour Barber, Sukhumvit Soi 26. It is made entirely of new redwood. The carpenter was beginning to gain expertise after having worked together for many years. I provided the design, and the fabricated chair was delivered to the shop in just 10 days. However, the issue of the proportions being different from the design persists as they were unable to source wood in the size
and has graced the front of our shop for almost 10 years.
Bench, for senior practitioners
Year : 2021
No. : S 2021-20
Title : Bench, for senior practitioners
Material : Teak Wood
Dimensions : 0.60 x 2.60, H. 1.05 m
Carpenter : Anant Junsawad
This bench can seat three senior practitioners who may find it difficult to be seated on the floor for long periods of time. The seat of this Teakwood bench is made from a single slab of timber 2.60 meters long. It is woodstained in a natural tone, and roughly sanded to show the wood grain. It was designed with three black cotton cushions to make it more comfortable to be seated for long periods.
Wood Sculptures
By-Products
Wood Sculptures
remnant wood. There were a variety of woods pieces, both large and small, as they were originally from wooden boats, timber pieces of wood to good use. I designed some furniture for him, but there was still a large amount of waste wood after fabrication. So, I decided to try using these to create a sculpture. I sketched a few designs and my carpenter friend enjoyed making each opportunity arises, making use of remnant wood by turning them into pieces of art.
Head Mistress
Year : 2000
No. : WS 2000-37
Title : Head Mistress
Material : Old Wood
Dimensions : H. 2.03 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
This wooden sculpture is made of small pieces of remanent wood. Some of the pieces have drill holes and saw marks, showing their history of being used many times before. When I sketched the design for the carpenter, I had not though of the name for this piece yet, but once the carpenter had completed it and brought it show me, I was immediately reminded of the Head Mistress in my school days who stood at the school gates, making sure the students all looked orderly as they arrived. Her stern demeanor conveyed her strict sense of discipline as she managed all aspects of the school. Thus, on first sight, I named this piece “Head Mistress”.
Pretty Woman
Year : 2000
No. : WS 2000-43
Title : Pretty Woman
Material : Old Wood
Dimensions : H. 2.03 m
Carpenter : Saiyart Sema-ngern
Around 1990, the movie “Pretty Woman”, starring Richard Gere and Julia Roberts, was released, and was well received by movie-goers all over the world. Julia played the role of a street hooker. You could say she was the most beautiful hooker in the world during that time as she captured everyone’s hearts. I took her image as inspiration and designed this sculpture in tribute to her. It was displayed in an exhibition of my works, and though some people critiqued that it did not resemble her, the carpenter and I agreed that this “Pretty Woman” sculpture really is her.
Sofitel So Bangkok
Wood Carvings
“By-product” Wood Carvings
who were both originally from the San Kamphaeng district. At that time, most woodcraftsmen in the village were producing carvings of individual elephants in similar poses. These were sold and became known as a local Chiang Mai craft. During that time, I had to travel to Chiang Mai regularly for various reasons, and I often met up with the pair until we developed a close friendship. Many times, I traveled with an engineer friend who shared my interest in wood carvings. As we became more familiar with the craftsmen, we large and small elephants, carve elephants in various poses such as standing, crouching, sitting, or laying down. I also suggested the the spirit of northern Thai elephants. They took our advice and produced some beautiful pieces. Many people showed an interest in produced carvings of individual elephants, my engineer friend and I suggested they try their hand at carving herd of elephants in a each piece. This was time consuming and not cost effective. I also felt it was a pity that so much of the wood ended up being carved close friends, I felt comfortable enough to suggest that they carve just half of the slab, leaving sections of it intact to display the natural of the woodcarvings of these two craftsmen in this volume.
In the Wood IV
Year : 1991
No. : WC 2534-50
Title : In the Wood IV (The Story of Three Elephants)
Material : Teak Wood – four conjoined slabs
Dimensions : 1.50 x 1.50 m
Designer : Nithi Sthapitanonda
Carpenter : Phet Wiriya
Owned by : Rujiraporn Wanglee
This 1.50 x 1.50-meter wood carving was created in the year 1991 by carpenter Phet Wiriya and is made from four conjoined 7.5-centimeter-thick slabs of timber fastened together by a steel sheet backing. This method makes the piece relatively lightweight. However, the carpenter must take care not to carve too deeply. I suggested that he choose a wide scene, without going into details of the leaves and forest as he did with the previous piece. This technique gained popularity later as it saves a lot of timber and reduces the weight of the piece by more than half. It also takes less time to produce, meaning that the carpenter may be able to produce up to four pieces a year. The squareshaped form gives it a modern feel which goes well with the décor in modern homes and offices. This piece is currently owned by Rujiraporn Wanglee.
Year : 1969
No. : WC 2512-56
Title : A Herd of Elephants in a Basin
Dimensions : 0.90 m
Designer & Carpenter : Kru Kam-ai Detchduangta
Owned by : Nithi Sthapitanonda
