THIS YEAR’S DESIGNER OF THE YEAR AWARD 2021, CO-ORGANIZED BY THE FACULTY OF DECORATIVE ARTS, SILPAKORN UNIVERSITY ALONG WITH ALLIANCES IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR, HAS ANNOUNCED ITS WINNERS
TEXT: PRATARN TEERATADA
PHOTO COURTESY OF DESIGNER OF THE YEAR 2021 AND THE DESIGNERS
(For Thai, press here)
The Designer of the Year award hosted by the Silpakorn University’s Faculty of Decorative Arts along with several governmental agencies and professional associations has reached its 16th year. It’s one of the activities that has continuously contributed to the improving standard of design professions in Thailand, notably in how it has brought more recognition to young generation designers and highlight their outstanding works.
There are three winners of this year’s Honor Awards. The first two are Phansakdi Chakkaphak and Rujiraporn Wanglee, the founders of PIA, and the third winner is Bhanu Inkawat, the founder of the Greyhound brand. The three designers have all made a monumental contribution to Thailand’s creative industry through their works. A special mention must be made to Phansakdi, who has dedicated his life as a prolific botanical artist. His watercolor paintings make him the only Thai artist with works in the United Kingdom’s Shirley Sherwood Collection, the world’s most prestigious and famous botanical art collection.
For the Designer of the Year awards, Illustration Design witnessed some tight competition before the juries selected Suthipa Kamyam to be the winner. Meanwhile, for other categories, the winners are veteran designers with track records that rightfully earn them the title, except for the interior design category, where no winner has been chosen for this year.
Last but not least are the Emerging Designer awards with winners who will surely grow to become prominent figures in the promising future of the industry. As Thailand’s creative sector continues to move forward, young budding designers are catching up to the prior generation, and all are equally significant pieces of the jigsaw, a silver lining that in a way, makes the future of this country seem more beautiful and hopeful.