Ploenchan Vinyaratn

“Mook”

About the artist

Ploenchan Vinyaratn (Mook) transforms fibre into a medium of environmental urgency, weaving ecological concern into the very fabric of her art. A leading figure in Thai contemporary art, Mook turns discarded materials—from recycled aluminium ribbons and plastics to fishing nets, cassette tapes, and other reclaimed objects—into large-scale installations that interrogate ecological fragility, species endangerment, and humanity’s fraught relationship with nature. Her work merges meticulous craftsmanship with staggering scale, embedding autobiographical traces of memory, cultural heritage, and the silent narratives of waste itself.

Long before sustainability entered the global zeitgeist, Mook championed a zero-waste ethos, treating repurposed materials not as cost-effective medium but as agents of storytelling and change. Her installations invite viewers to confront consumption’s aftermath while reimagining beauty in the overlooked, bridging urgent environmental discourse with the poetics of material revival.

In 2024, Mook received the Angela Award for Lifetime Achievement (Ursuline Schools Network of Thailand), honouring her dual legacy as an artist and advocate advancing material consciousness across cultures. Her works are displayed in major public and private venues throughout Thailand and have been exhibited internationally, including Singapore, Korea, Greece, and the United States..

Artist Profile

Education

• BA, Woven Textile, Central St. Martin’s College of Art & Design, London, England (1995)

• Diploma, Art Foundation, Middlesex University, London, England (1991)

Selected Exhibitions

• Mitta del Santi (2025) – Bangkok Kunstalle, Bangkok, Thailand

• You Are Here (2025) – Bangkok Art and Culture Center, Bangkok, Thailand

• Afterfract (2025) – Cheongju Craft Biennale, Korea

• Threading: Contemporary Art of Thailand (2024) – Group exhibition, Turchin Art Center, North Carolina, USA

• Misfit (2024) – MOCA Art Space, Solo exhibition, Bangkok, Thailand

• Rippling Veil (2024) – Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Bangkok, Thailand

• Woven Symphony & Adam’s Bridge (2022) – Permanent collection, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok

• Tactile Vernacular (2023) – ATT19 Gallery, Bangkok, Thailand

• Nestscape (2016) – Entryway installation, Art Stage Singapore, Marina Bay Sands

• The Sea Ghost and Beyond (2020) – Nova Contemporary, Solo exhibition, Bangkok, Thailand

• Withee Thai (2022) – Siam Paragon, Bangkok, Thailand

         • Call of the Cardamoms (2024) – Group exhibition, W Bangkok

Awards & Career Highlights

• Collaborations with Louis Vuitton (2017–2024): design, sourcing, and production for bespoke installations and decorative

elements in Thailand

• Fabric Design Excellence, Elle Decoration Thailand (2004–2005)

• Created site-specific textile installations for major public and private institutions, including Queen Sirikit National

Convention Center, Rugby School Thailand,and prominent hotels

Sustainability & Community Engagement

• Invited to Steering Committee of Bangkok Climate Action Week 2025

• Pioneered use of recycled and remaindered materials in large-scale textile artworks

• Led workshops teaching communities to transform waste into functional art, fostering environmental awareness and creativity