Phaptawan Suwannakudt at Sam Rit Residency December 2016
I arrived in Sam Rit residency with no plan and expectation.  I basically allowed climate, surroundings and people in the community who went on with their daily routine to have governed my pace.  I observed rhythm of life within the culture through which I explored local histories. 
During the four weeks in Sam-Rit my activities involved the followings: -

• Visits to historical sites which included Historical burial site, Phimai temple, Ya Mo in Korat and Toong Sam Rit historical monuments
• I also went to explore a three hundred-year-old mural at Buddhist temple in Wat Taku, Pakthongchai

I also explored places of interest and engaged in the activities at:-

• Jayasaro Bhikku’s meditation guidance at Baan Torsi Pakthongchai,
• Construction site of Luang Por To in Pak Chong
• Enjoyed discussion with the National artist Tawee Rachaneekorn at Tawee Rachaneekorn Art Centre in Korat
• Women’s weaving village group in Pakthongchai
• Newly open Korat house and visit the inaugural exhibition which showed print media work of Ajarn Surichai Siriboon.
• Market places wholesale fruit and vegetable market
• Village life and locals’ hospitality and enjoyed hearing stories from elders at Wat Sam Rit Tawan Tok and Wat Sam Rit Tawan Ork during ordination ceremonies.
• Khun Ta Kong and his children’s traditional kite making from natural and recycled materials
• Khun Orn making Thai cookies with flour and sesame seed
• I visited paddy fields, rice storage, riverside and the neighbourhood
• Record song from Korat music
• Performances from women and youth community organised by Khun Orn in which I translate from Thai-Isan into English
• I offered my music and left the instrument to stay with Sam Rit Residency and for the community people in the village and to future residents to enjoy

 
Workshops include: -

• I conducted workshop to secondary school students at SamRit vitayakom in which I engaged an English class and conducted group session on drawings.  Students took turns to speak about their work.
• I gave a talk at Tarnprasart Vitayakom and visited the art gallery within the school
• Meeting for a discussion with the school Principal and art teacher at Tarnprasart Vitayakom for future collaboration between the school and Sam Rit Residency

 
Phaptawan most recent exhibitions include the followings: -

• http://shop.powerpublications.com.au/collections/all/products/retold-untold-stories-phaptawan-suwannakudt
• Exhibition Traces of Word: Art from Asia at Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia May 2017, showing existing work Cast Off, 2010
• A solo and a group exhibition scheduled in Sydney in 2017
• A solo exhibition Bangkok scheduled early 2018
• A collaborative project at a public venue in New South Wales late 2018
• More information http://phaptawansuwannakudt.com/

I feel very honoured and proud to be one of a growing list of Artist residents to have experienced Sam Rit.
 
Before I left, I was asked curiously by several friends and family - What is a residency? 
I described the opportunity as a unique time and space to contemplate and respond creatively to a new and fresh environment.  It would be an opportunity to revive, inspire and nurture my artistic goals that all too often becomes clouded and jaded with daily distractions.  I was correct!  Yet my residency at Sam Rit gave me the freedom to realise far more than just artistic outcomes.
 
I was fulfilled both artistically and holistically, and I know my husband Geoff who joined me made the very best of the location and time to enjoy his love of photography, reading and exploring, in a welcoming and unobtrusive environment.  We thoroughly enjoyed immersing ourselves in this community, walking the streets, exploring unfamiliar paths, eating at the local family restaurants, visiting monuments, markets, temples and nearby archeological sites, riding the bikes, watching the kites flying, engaging in animated, gestural conversations with the locals and simply absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of an authentic Thai village.
 
The residency is a very friendly, relaxed and unpretentious, professionally run family enterprise. The Thai people are incredibly warm, optimistic and generous people and we experienced their hospitality from the moment we arrived. ‘Art’, the program coordinator, kindly picked us up from Bangkok where we headed off for a longer than usual 5 hour drive up-country (due to the very heavy holiday traffic) When we finally arrived, quite late, we were warmly welcomed by Lindsay and his wife On, who are the backbone of the Residency, who met us with a drink and we relaxed for a while. They introduced us to Program Facilitator Ek, and other members of the family. Nothing was too much trouble, and we felt very comfortable in our strange new surroundings!   Due to good timing we also had the pleasure of meeting other members of the extended family who were in Thailand for the holidays during our stay. Together we had the most memorable evening, when we were officially welcomed to the village with a celebration of music, lots of food, drinks, local residents and traditional Thai dancing - we will never forget it!
 
During the residency I spent many productive days in the studio producing some often, unexpected outcomes!  My interest and fascination for the Thai script prompted me to experiment with Calligraphy, which then resulted in me using these shapes as the inspiration behind a layered, collage artwork depicting my fourteen days in Sam Rit, using left over materials found in the studio space from previous resident artists. From these, I began to explore poetry and quotations. 
This time to ‘play’ and follow threads of inspiration is the very heart of a residency objective.
 
Aside from drawing and sketching opportunities both locally and in nearby Phimai, I also found myself painting with watercolours on the river bank; Playing with T-shirt designs; Impromptu portrait drawing and I was encouraged to leave my mark with a ‘street art’ style artwork of Ek and Art on residency walls!  I’ve returned with fresh ideas to pursue at home that include a childrens Thai/English counting book and complete some of the other illustrations I had started on.
 
One of the absolute highlights of our stay was the two mornings I spent at the local Sam Rit Village School. Elysha, who is an also an artist and the programs Operational Director, and Art helped to coordinate this prior to our arrival, so the children were very excited in anticipation of our visit!
 
It was quite an event visiting the school of about 150 students, and Art was instrumental in helping us communicate with the School Principal, staff and the gorgeous students we met at the school.
On the first morning I shared my children’s book, ‘Me & My Family Tree’, with a class of around eighteen 8 year old students.  This was such a thrill!  The children listened to Art attentively as he translated my book, but I think they were more excited to receive the activity booklets I had prepared for them. They were intrigued by the drawings I did on the blackboard of well-known Australian animals.  Lots of photographs were taken recording our visit by both Geoff and myself, and the enthusiastic teachers.  Geoff was a hit with the children on the sidelines, engaging them with technology, an ipad - something quite foreign to these children, and entertaining them with the apps!  We returned the following morning to the classroom, this time to share a craft activity and also do some portrait drawing, lovely ‘Nui’ was my volunteer. Children around every corner entertained us with song and dance and big smiles!  Leaving the school, my face, heart and soul were just bursting from such a rewarding experience!   I would thoroughly recommend future residents to incorporate a visit to the school - it was such a delight!
The following day some children stopped on their way home from school at the residency gates to yell out, “Hello! See you tomorrow!” in English.  Pure joy!
 
We were privileged to meet Emma Sedlak, who was also on residence during our time at Sam Rit.  Emma holds a PhD and is a writer, poet, and actress. It was so lovely to spend quiet time in the air conditioned Studio working on our own projects, lunch in the courtyard, casual walks, bike rides and dinner at the end of the day at the local family restaurants, and our orientation outings and shopping trips.  
I really enjoyed reading Emma’s beautiful words and observations of the residency, as they enhanced and informed my own experience. A valuable exchange of insights, as writing and journaling is also an important part of my arts practice.
 
Among the many lessons I learned, Sam Rit made me acutely aware of the verbal interactions, subtle body language, gestures and our innate desire to ‘connect’ with others despite communication and cultural barriers.
How very important it is to maintain a sense of humour; to be patient, kind, and to explore the world ferociously!
 
This is the type of baggage I wanted to take home, and as I prepared to leave the residency at the end of our stay I realised that rather than leaving Sam Rit, I didn’t want Sam Rit to leave me!
  
Jackie Moss
www.jackiemossart.com.au
January 2017

​My two month stay at Sam Rit was a tremendous experience. I would recommend it to anyone who is interested in truly getting a feel for the beauty of the landscape, history and lovely people of Thailand. 
This was my first trip to Asia and is a complete emersion into Thai culture and life.
Initially I was a bit overwhelmed by the dramatically different environment I found myself in but by the end of my stay, I felt such a deep appreciation for everyone who had welcomed me with open arms. It was as if I had a new branch of family who I will never forget. I decided to just be open to experience and soak up as much as possible and said yes to every trip suggestion and every new and wonderful dish of food. It was a wild and wonderful adventure.
 
Everyone I met there welcomed me with kind, generous and friendly curiosity. 
I spent the first month alone at the residency but everyday my kitchen and table was full of food, lots of Chang beer, laughter and stories. 
 
Art was an incredible guide and delightfully funny and sweet. On and the rest of the family worked tirelessly to ensure I had everything I needed, took me all over the place, introduced me to what seemed the entire village and made me feel that I was so incredibly welcome. They shared their culture, their food from the gardens and ponds, their life stories and welcomed me into their homes and lives. I miss them and think of them often with great fondness.
 
I have read some of the detailed reviews from other artists who have stayed there and know that they too have experienced the warmth I did. 
 
This experience has informed my work in ways I would never have expected and continues to do so. Living and working in New York city in the hustle and bustle of anonymity could not be further from life in the rice fields and temples, lizards and elephants, but it was exactly the reminder of how simple community and family, love and laughter, food and traditions bond many people together in ways that should be echoed everywhere.
One day I would love to return, not just to again see the vibrant colors of the costumes, the markets, the flowers, taste the fabulous fiery food and roam the ancient temples, but to laugh and hug those amazing friends, especially my Thai sister!