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ภาพประกอบ: พริ้งเพรียว

e-mail: pinatho@gmail.com

Site: http://prinkpreaw.blogspot.com/

Facebook: Fan Page: prinkpreaw.metal.art

“Prinkpreaw”: The Products of  Inspiration and Pride

Ms. Pornpan Kiatparkpoom

*First published at www.creativeokmd.com 

Having created art works in connection with business operations for the past three years, I decided to look back to get a clearer picture of what I have been doing since 2009, and found that they could all be summarized into three main components, which are-What I Am; What I Have Seen and What I Need To Do.

What I Am

Many people might think that for a person who was born and bred in a Chinese family that ran a family business with a small factory, which was usually expected to be carried on from one generation to another, I should have chosen to study business management or engineering to carry out the family business as was popular in those days. However, I decided in my high school days that I would study art at the university level, in order to learn about art perspectives and processes. With that goal in mind, I applied for an undergraduate art program to study visual art in the Faculty of Arts of Srinakharinwirot University.

What I Have Seen

The small factory that was like a playground in my childhood made me naturally absorb all the experiences of its daily factory life. The sound of the machines in operation, and piles of metal scraps that were waiting to be sold by the weight became an inspiration for me to create an installation art using mixed media as my final art dissertation.

What I Need To Do

“What shall we do after we graduate?” That was the question from one of my friends. At that moment, I answered her question without hesitating that “I’ll just go back to work with my family!” However, her further comments made me suddenly realize something very important. “If you go to work on your family business without making any changes or development, then don’t go back! If you simply want to do that, what’s the use of getting your education here? You could have just stayed home, and learned the family’s business, without wasting your time and money in studying in the university!” It is quite true that many people whose families run their own businesses usually go to work for a few yeas with other companies to gain some experiences, before they just go home to work on their family business according to the methods and traditions already established by the older generations.

To work as an employee in a company which entails hurried commuting to and from the office in the morning and in the evening in congested traffic every day; an urban living which is like the life of a mouse constantly running on a spinning wheel, clocking one’s way in and out of the office, was not really the way of life that I wanted to lead! Therefore, I decided not to apply for any office job, but to work independently on what I really wanted to do most. I chose to establish my own career path, which would provide me with the freedom to think, plan and develop my business in my own way.  Most importantly, I would have more time to spend with my family and take care of my aging parents at the same time.

After graduating from the university, I traveled to several provinces in the Northeastern region to teach art to children in various places, which made me come into contact with the gentle and natural ways of life, as well as the charm of local traditions and culture. Those valuable experiences became an inspiration for me to create art works, which were later exhibited to the public as a group exhibition with my friends and colleagues in that period.

The nature of my family’s business had already provided me with readily available capital and resources for the production of creative works, ranging from tools and machineries, labor, and metal scraps that were leftovers from the goods produced in my family’s business, which I could made use of as I liked. Therefore, with the knowledge gained from having studied art, I started to create art works from the surplus materials in the factory, since even though they were no longer of any value for industrial production, they could be transformed into new products with market values. I started from creating small objects, such as candle holders, lamps, and table clocks of unusual and unique designs, using the metal scraps of any shapes that were available in the factory. My products also led to the development for the management of the factory waste that was already increasingly becoming a major problem to handle.

The turning point that made the creation of “Prinkpreaw” products become a full-fledged business came with an invitation for me to participate in the Project “Turning Handmade Crafts into Business Opportunities”; a project that was an offshoot of the Second Ploy-Sang Festival organized by Thailand Creative Design Center (TCDC). The project was organized with the cooperation from a number of Thai business entrepreneurs, with an aim to develop quality and design products that meet the modern market demands. The Project also provided a space where products were displayed and sold to the public in order to create another channel for business opportunities. I also had the opportunities to learn about the systems of cost management and consignment, as well as business principles in general, which was very useful for a young art graduate who wanted to start a business like me.

At the same time, I was invited by an interior decoration company, which also ran an import and export business for home decors products, to join them in several home decorating projects, which provided me with quite a good opportunity to gain more experiences. The first project was the creation of wall art iron works, which were installed in the model houses of more than ten commercial housing estates, such as the Ban Klang Krung Phra Ram 9, Ban Klang Muang Lad Pla Khao, Prueksa Praeksa, Prueksa Thaparuk, Preuksa Phra Ram 9,  Prueksa Phra Ram 5, the Centro Lad Krabang, and others. The projects have much served to propel a very rapid development and growth of “Prinkpreaw” business. Moreover, I was also invited to set up a booth to sell “Prinkpreaw” products at the Cicada Market in Hua Hin in the initial phase of its opening at weekends for two months.

In addition, I was honored to be invited from TCDC to act as a speaker to give talks to various enterprises in several provinces as a case study, which was carried out in junction with other projects, such as the SMEs Thai Khem Khang Project organized the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion.

Since 2009, “Prinkpreaw” products have been widely publicized by various media, including newspapers, online news, leading home decorations and women’s magazines. They appeared in several popular television programs such as Pooying Thueng Pooying (Women To Women), Jaew (Cool!), Puen Khookid (Household Companion), Samorapoom Idea (Arena of Ideas), as well as some business radio programs. The extensive media coverage has resulted in increasing orders for the design and construction of house fences, waterside pontoons, house plates, and various types of iron wrought furniture.

Although the workloads have been increasing, I still continue to improve my knowledge and experiences by participating in various training programs, such as the program organized by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture (OCAC) and i-Design Magazine, which selected the participants from their past experiences and interesting products. The participants were given the opportunities to learn about conceptual thinking and creative designs from experienced guest speakers, such as Professors Rapee Leelasiri, Paiwej Wangborn, Preecha Panklam, and Mr.Sakkachat Sivabaworn, Managing Director of the  i-Design Publishing Company. By participating in this program, I was given the opportunities to regularly display and sell “Prinkpreaw” products in the annual Bangkok International Gift Fairs and Bangkok International Houseware Fairs, namely the BIG&BIH October 2009, BIG&BIH April 2010, BIG&BIH April 2011, and BIG&BIH  October 2011. The latest activity was the broadcasting of the story of “Prinkpreaw” products in OKMD Creative Economy Television Program via Thai PBS.

In 2011, I had the opportunity to join the Talent Thai Program organized by the Department of Export Promotion, Ministry of Commerce, which is a program which aims at promoting designers of lifestyle products in the global market. “Prinkpreaw” was included in the New Designers Group, which comprised designers who have had experiences in creative designs, or established their own brands for 0-1 year. Through this program, we were given the chances to participate in field studies and observations of the business operations of Thailand’s leading furniture export companies.

By participating in those training programs, I have gained a great deal of knowledge and information concerning a large variety of creative ideas, and conceptual thinking. Employing the said information together with my own inspirations, personal preferences, and internal drives, I have managed to create many new sketch designs. In consultation with my technicians and craftsmen, who have been working with me for a long time, we usually create miniature models and improve upon them until we are finally able to produce the finished products of the desired scales.

Concerning problems and obstacles, I consider them to be a normal occurrence that one has to deal with in any working process. Therefore, I have always tried to work out the solutions for all the problems by learning from experienced craftsmen, and maintaining good working relationships with other factories in the co-production of our products. It has greatly helped me to prepare myself to deal with any problems that may occur more effectively.

In the operation of “Prinkpreaw” business, I have divided my production into three main categories, namely the creation of functional art and sculpture products based on my own concepts and designs; the manufacturing of commercial products that can be replicated in a limited number; and lastly the production of the goods that are made according to the customers’ orders.

At present, “Prinkpreaw” products are sold on consignment at Shop @ TCDC, Museum Siam, Ecoshop @ Digital Gateway, Siam Square and Hallo Shop @ Nimmanhemind in Chiang Mai.  I was also requested by Professor Thavee Kesa-ngarm to put my products on display at the Artists’ Village, at Hua Hin District in Prachuabkeereekhan Province since November 12, 2011.

“Prinkpreaw” products received the Good SME Award in the Outstanding Recycle Products Category from DTAC and SME Thailand Magazine in September 2011. Another important award that has given me much pride and joy was to be selected in October 2011 as one of the finalists among the ten creative business enterprises in the Crafts and Handmade Products Category of  the Thai Creative Awards 2011, which was organized by the Office of Knowledge Management and Development (OKMD). Through this event, I was greatly honored to have received a commendation certificate from H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

The next steps to be taken by “Prinkpreaw” are to develop the company in a more systematic way, and to increase the marketing channels through direct approaches to future customers by participating in both domestic and international trade fairs. Most importantly, I aim to create a unique identity of “Prinkpreaw” products, which express the concepts through creative uses of shapes, textures, and materials, both in the natural forms of the material used, and in the modern and contemporary forms, with an emphasis on the use of black and white colors. For urban living customers, an emphasis will be placed on the functionality of the products with the utilization of lively and trendy colors, as well as newly developed materials to provide more product diversity and selection options.

The achievement I have reached so far, which is based on the concepts of “What I am, what I have seen, and what I need to do” is quite beyond the dream and expectations I initially began with. From now on, I am determined to further develop “Prinkpreaw” products into a sustainable business with continuing and steady growth, based on the solid foundation of the good things in the past that have been handed down lovingly from generation to generation, which has made “Prinkpreaw” become what it is today.

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Sources: Prinkpreaw

e-mail: pinatho@gmail.com

Site: http://prinkpreaw.blogspot.com/

Facebook Fan Page: prinkpreaw.metal.art