Chuchart Sarunnayawatsin, MA Jewellery, Silversmithing & Related Products

Graduated from Birmingham Institute of Art & Design

Selected by Jackie Norton

Generation 2, 2009

Thai born Chuchart Sarunnayawatsin is taking a much needed break travelling Europe, after recently completing his MA in Jewellery, Silversmithing and Related Products. 

The culmination of his studies resulted in his 'Home' body of work on display at the recent Life's a Bench exhibition at The Birmingham School of Jewellery. His work is a real celebration of clean lines and shows the capabilities of the honest materials he chooses to work with, such as wood, metal and thread.

His inspiration stems from his understanding of the social structure of the family and its internal relationships. Sarunnayawatsin focuses on the home and everything that encompasses what is perceived by it, including the importance of wisdom that is imparted from generation to generation.

First impressions of the way in which Sarunnayawatsin chose to display some of his pieces at the exhibition brought to mind a recent trip to Stonehenge with family and friends. Reminiscing, the trip conjured up happy memories, a real sense of belonging and the spiritual presence one felt as an onlooker to an iconic monument from our preserved British heritage. His work traverses international boundaries and he appreciates that, either as a wearer or a viewer, the narrative experience he hopes his work conveys through 'memories, happy events, sentimental emotions and comfort' is very much an individual one. As is Sarunnayawatsin's intention his work allows the viewer 'to travel into their own personal memories and explore their story of home and belonging'.

The beauty of Sarunnayawatsin's work is that some of the pieces can be worn and others are contemporary art statements in their own right. He recognises that his recent work lends itself to be suitable for display within the contemporary market, galleries and exhibitions. He aims to focus on the international market and has already contacted galleries including Deux Poissons of Tokyo, Japan, the Keiko Gallery, Boston and Galerie SO, Solothurn in Switzerland to name but a few. When he has completed the last leg of his current European travel in Italy he will be returning to the UK, aiming to use it as a base while he looks for opportunities to exhibit his work internationally. (Jackie Norton, 2009)