AN INTENTION TO DESIGN CRAFTWORKS TO BE MODERN YET STILL RETAIN THEIR INDIGENOUS ROOTS IS THE WORKING’S GOAL OF STUDIO ‘MUEJA’ WHOSE MEANING REFLECTS THE EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS OF THE CREATOR
TEXT: RAPEEPAT KEAWTHIP
PHOTO: RAPEEPAT KEAWTHIP EXCEPT AS NOTED
(For Thai, press here)
WHO
Rapeepat Keawthip (Poon). I currently work as a woodworker and freelance designer.
WHAT
The name of our studio, MUEJA, comes from the word ‘mueja’ which means calloused hand in northern Thailand dialect. I think the word is fitting because most of the skilled craftspeople all have calloused hands, since hands are used as the main tool of the trade for their whole life. Also, I think the word has a kind of adorable ring to it, so I decided to choose it for the name of my brand.
Thapae Bench
WHEN
Coincidentally, COVID-19 hit Thailand right after my graduation in 2021. And since I was more interested in crafting work rather than an office job, I decided to return home and make my own furniture to sell on Instagram. I started learning the techniques by watching tutorial videos on YouTube then practicing by myself afterwards.
WHERE
The garage of my home in Chiang Mai.
SHELF
WHY
I have always liked craftwork, and I think there are only a handful of craftspeople in Thailand, so I think I could make a living from it. Also, this work makes me happy since I get to work from home and so I can spend my day with family.
How would you describe your work?
I want my designs to be modern yet still retain their indigenous roots.
What is your inspiration and guiding principle for each creation?
A large part of my inspiration comes from my roots as a native of Chiang Mai province and the love for its everyday utilities, naturescape, mountains and forests that has grown in me subconsciously. It is because of this reason that these elements are one of the features of my design. As for my guiding principle for creating works, that would be to put as much effort and thought as possible into each of my pieces to achieve good results, to improve on the flaws of previous works, and to make each project better than the last.
LAZY DAYBED | Photo courtesy of The Creative Economy Agency (CEA)
What project are you most proud of?
Pretty much all of them, because each one of my works are all an improvement of the previous one that comes with time and the progression of my skills. But if I have to choose only one, that would be the D.I.Y Pavilion, because it truly is a D.I.Y project. I did this piece with help from P’Kong (the owner of Ku Bar) and P’Mind (@methineemeeluea), who helped me sew the canvas, as well as my friends in Chiang Mai. What we did for the project was really crazy, with just 3-4 people lifting heavy plankwoods up four-storey buildings, climbing up a very high scaffold. Looking back, I still have no idea how we managed to accomplish that.
D.I.Y. Pavilion
Which stage of the design process do you like the most?
When I send the finished piece to the client, receive the pay-check and both sides are happy (laugh).
If you could invite a ‘creative’ to coffee, who would you invite and why?
I have no idea about that, because I don’t know what topics I would bring up in our conversation. I am not really good at conversation with other people, because most of my time is spent doing woodwork with myself. But if I were to invite someone, I think I would invite my friend in Chiang Mai, because both of us would get to have a nice chat about topics that we are interested in and exchange new ideas. Then, after we finish with coffee, I might invite my friend for a nighttime drink as well (laugh).
TABLE & BENCH