One of the first things a tourist learns in Thailand are the words ‘Sawadee’ combined with the wai gesture. It originated over 2,000 years ago in Hinduism with the Añjali Mudrā gesture, which accompanies ‘namaste’ and was adopted by Buddhism.
It was a yogic posture, the equal meeting of the palms symbolising that the other party is treated as an equal human being. As well as greetings it’s also used for farewells, thanking, apologising, asking for mercy and expressing various forms of politeness and respect.
Thais have strict hierarchies and the wai is central in how this is acted out everyday. Greeting an equal sees your palms meet at your chest, waiing someone older or in a position of authority like your teacher or boss, sees your hands at chin height. Waiing a monk, buddha image or royalty puts your hands at your forehead with a bow of the head. Older people don’t have to return the wai of younger people and customers don’t have to return the wai of shop workers. How someone wais you has huge symbolism to how they see you, and who is in the dominant role in the relationship.
I became interested in how widespread this gesture is depicted, in religious contexts, muay Thai, Khon dance, massage, but also in commercial mascots, public notices, stickers and clip art. Despite its fading popularity with the younger generation, I want to show how this gesture has become a symbol of Thai identity on so many levels.
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Barry Macdonald (b. 1984) is a freelance photographer from London, England. He started off shooting musicians and found out about the enjoyment of travelling from going on tour with bands around Europe and the USA. His work has evolved into a hybrid of street and documentary. He is interested in sociology and tries to look at culture and human nature through his photography. He has lived in Bangkok, Thailand since 2022.
OPEN THE PORTFOLIO OF REJECTED DESIGNS IN THE ONLINE EXHIBITION ‘OUTTAKES: DEAR B, YOU WERE BRILLIANT!’ THAT WILL TAKE YOU THROUGH THE TIMING OF THE THINKING, THE TIMING OF THE CHOICES, AND THE TIMING OF THE MISTAKES, ALONG WITH THE REASONS WHY THOSE WORKS WERE NOT SELECTED
MARTIN CONSTABLE PRESENTS IMAGES OF EMPTY SPACES THAT HAVE BECOME THE LANGUAGE OF HIS MEMORIES AND PERSONAL HISTORY THROUGH ‘WHAT CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN, MUST BE CELEBRATED’
If you were to pick one object that best represents who you are, what would it be? Your everyday glasses? A favorite book? Perhaps the pocket inhaler you never leave home without? Each choice offers a fun yet revealing challenge, balancing personal reflection with creative expression. But what if that object were your bag? How might it speak for you?
art4d x FREITAG come join forces for a special photography campaign titled ‘FREITAG and My Identity,’ inviting people from all walks of life to express who they are through their trusted FREITAG companion.
Among the many submissions, one stood out for its quiet strength and emotional resonance: Carrying Everything, Everywhere by Malinee Mendonca, a #FULLTIMEMOTHER whose photograph beautifully captures not only an aesthetic sensibility but also the profound, everyday poetry of motherhood.
Other participants, too, revealed striking interpretations of identity, from #ARCHITECT and #SHOPKEEPER to #INTERIORARCHITECT and #VETERINARIAN. Some brought together animals, people, and objects in delightfully unexpected ways, creating scenes that both charm and disarm.
In the end, no award or recognition can define or diminish one’s individuality— because being yourself is the most precious gift in every moment of life. To be yourself is to love yourself, and through that self-love, to share that love with others.
“If you can’t love yourself, how the hell you gonna love somebody else?” – RuPaul
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Malinee Mendonca
Occupation: Full-time Mother
Title of the Photo: Carrying Everything, Everywhere
No matter how near or far, this FREITAG bag is my go-to companion — tough, durable, and easy to carry, whether over the shoulder or as a backpack.
Teechalit Chularat
Occupation: Architect
Title of the Photo: Art Play Work
Beyond being functional and eco-conscious, FREITAG celebrates the art of composition through pattern and color. Its playfulness inspires me every time I use it. This photo reflects my true self; someone who loves art, photography, and carrying tools that make creative work easy, just like FREITAG’s own philosophy.
Phachara Lertphadungtham
Occupation: Interior Architect, Branding, and AI Experience Strategist
Title of the Photo: Title of the Photo: Layers in 3D
FREITAG, one of my life’s (p)layers (not just layers), still takes center stage.
Thanaphat Kongwongwilai
Occupation: Footwear Seller
Title of the Photo: Be Yourself
Whatever the color, it never clashes, as long as it’s your own.
Grish Chengsuebsant
Occupation: Entrepreneur
Title of the Photo: The Business Man
“I came here to drop some money, droppin’ all my money 💴”
Nimitporn Tanwan
Occupation: Business Owner
Title of the Photo: All in One
The idea came from my F302 ROY, a large, beloved FREITAG bag that fits everything I need. Wherever I travel, one bag is all it takes.
Rattapong Angkasith
Occupation: Architect / Lecturer
Title of the Photo: Stillness in Transit
Amid the sounds, smells, and movements of the busy market, I stand still for a brief moment. The world keeps moving, yet I feel calm inside. This moment captures a quiet pause, a stillness within the everyday chaos.
Methawin Sawaikoetsiri
Occupation: Veterinarian
Title of the Photo: FAI-THAK / FREITAG
Whether you read it as FAI-THAK, a playful twist on kwai (buffalo), or as FREITAG, what matters is sharing the same love for recycling and a more livable world.
Phongsakorn Langkakad
Occupation: Photographer
Title of the Photo: Art in 360
Since art exists everywhere, I wanted to bring out as much of it as possible. Starting from my black-and-white F40, which already carried its own artistic character, I wanted the clothes I wore to harmonize with the bag slung at my side.
And that’s where the idea began. I sprayed black paint onto a white shirt, used paper cutouts in oval shapes to mask certain areas, and created an image that connects visually with the bag. Then I flicked small drops of color onto the surface and considered extending the design onto the back strap to complete the composition, turning it into a new kind of wearable artwork that wraps around the body in a full 360 degrees.
Each piece is unique: one bag to one shirt. When worn, the whole artwork comes together and can be carried anywhere you go.
Rang Ainpan
Occupation: Architect
Title of the Photo: The Architect’s Canvas
An architect and FREITAG is a perfect union of endurance and sustainable creativity. Amid the battlefield of architectural life, where blueprints scatter across the floor alongside tools and instruments of the trade, my recycled tarp FREITAG bag rests on my shoulder as a steadfast companion. It is more than just a bag. It embodies resilience, individuality, and sustainability. This image reflects who I am and how I work: creating things that endure, that stand against challenges, and that merge seamlessly with FREITAG’s spirit of thoughtful, lasting design.
INVISIBLE INK TAKES THE CHAOS OF BANGKOK AND DESIGNS IT INTO ‘BANGKOK PAINS’, A BOARD GAME THAT’S BOTH PAINFUL AND CREATIVE, AND A FUN REFLECTION OF THE CITY’S EXPERIENCES
KHLONG SAEN SAEP PRESENTS A NEW LOCAL SOLUTION THAT EMBODIES A BLURRING AND LAYERING EXPERIENCE, RESEARCHED BY ARCHITECTS JENCHIEH HUNG AND KULTHIDA SONGKITTIPAKDEE OF HAS DESIGN AND RESEARCH
WHEN THREE THAI DESIGN STUDIOS COLLABORATED TO DESIGN VMS LIBRARY, A LIBRARY THAT UNDERSTANDS THE CHANGING TIMES, IT BECAME A SPACE FOR MEDITATION AND INTERACTION AT THE SAME TIME.
SUN TOWER, A SEASIDE BUILDING IN YANTAI, DESIGNED TO ORBIT THE SUN, CONVEYING THE RHYTHM OF LIFE IN THE UNIVERSE THROUGH ITS SHAPE AND MATERIALS, BY OPEN ARCHITECTURERead More
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