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Boonmee Panya-ek

"Sawasdee kha. My name is Boonmee Panya-ek, and I was born on November 8, 1950 in a small village in the province of Surin. Like many other kids in my village, I did not have much opportunity to study. My parents were farmers and couldn't afford school tuition, so at eleven years old, I began helping my parents. However, the intensive farming season lasted only for a few months a year, so my mother began teaching me to weave silk during the rest of the year.

"The excellent weaving tradition in my village motivated me to concentrate on learning our traditional techniques. It took me about two years to be able to weave properly. Once skilled enough, I moved to the capital and worked for the larger silk shops. Although I wasn't paid much at first, I appreciated those jobs, because I could not afford to purchase the raw material myself. During the rice planting and harvesting seasons, I returned to my village to help my parents.

"When I was 24 years old, a man from my village, whom I had known from childhood, asked me to marry him. We met every time I came home, and kept in touch while I was away. Our relationship was going smoothly. He was a hard-working man, and my parents liked him. So, we were all in agreement when his parents talked to my parents about the wedding. We got married in 1974. We now have three daughters.

"The owner of a shop I worked for always complimented me on the quality and beauty of my weaves. He encouraged me to start investing in raw silks, weave them and sell them on my own. I followed his advice and found that it was a much better option. Not only could I be more independent, but I could also earn a better living, while taking good care of every step in the silk weaving process, starting from the feeding of the silk worms.

"I am a local Thai woman from a small village who is so proud of her family and of her craft. I am proud to create beautiful works with techniques that have been passed down to us from many generations. My grandmother taught my mother, who herself has been weaving most of her life, and now so I am. Our village became well known thanks to our ancient weaving motifs. I love my craft and always do it with pleasure. My silks are not just pieces of fabric, they represent all the love and experience that I put into each one, and share with others.

"I am currently a member of a silk weaving group of about 20 members from the village. It is incredible to be able to support our families and benefit society thanks to this ancient craft of ours."