Friday Focus: Kim Thittichai

Article Added: 27/03/2009 15:36:15
HotHive Textiles has just started a new feature in which we will be focusing on one of the artists or companies who have a gold listing on the site. We begin this week with textile artist Kim Thittichai.

Can you tell us a bit about the work that you do?
I have two parts to my ‘job’. The first, and most important, is being a freelance textile tutor and occasional artist! I say occasional as I don’t have much time at the moment to create any new work. It can be hard balancing how to pay the mortgage with what you really want to do and many people reading this will be nodding their heads in agreement. I thoroughly enjoy teaching adults and now that I am not teaching long courses at college I can get out and about more, persecute students further a field and encourage them to experiment and explore. I am now teaching regularly at West Dean and Denman colleges as well fulfilling bookings for lectures with various Guilds up and down the country. A new venture for me is going into schools and helping Art and Textiles tutors. I am lucky enough to be given a large stand at the Design and Technology Show at the NEC every November to help teachers make connections between textiles, art and technology. This has been very rewarding and as a result I am now being asked into schools to help teach new techniques to teachers on inset days.

The second part of my ‘job’ is running my very small specialist mail order company nid-noi. This was created to supply the products that were mentioned in first book Hot Textiles.

You make some fabulous beaded vessels for commission – can you tell us more about them?
The beaded vessels are created by sorting all the beads into colour ranges and then threading them onto fencing wire. Fencing wire has a memory and will keep its shape. I then coil the wired beads into shape. The shapes are then stitched with various threads and yarns to stop them from uncoiling. The coiling process is one I was fond of when I was doing a degree course thirty odd years ago. I majored in Ceramics and Silver so the processes of working in clay and metal still inform my work now.

What is the most interesting commission you have worked on?
One of the most interesting commissions was being asked to create three site specific pieces to stand in Preston Manor, Brighton as part of Brighton Festival last year. Seven artists were asked to create new work to be displayed in this beautiful old Edwardian house. It was fascinating to see the juxtaposition of old and new. The other disciplines included silver jewellery, metal sculpture, ceramics and textiles.

You have a varied programme of workshops looking at a range of different subjects. Can you briefly outline what is looked at in the following:
On the surface
This is an introductory workshop for students who haven’t painted Bondaweb, melted Tyvek or zapped Lutradur. It is also a good way to learn how to use heat tools safely.

Don’t throw it away, Stitch It!
This was one of my first workshops 10 years ago and is still popular today. This workshop encourages students to get creative with rubbish – safely!!

Zap! Pow! Slash! & Burn!
Have heat gun – will zap! This is a day of experimenting with all things synthetic. What will zap, what won’t and how to use the results creatively.

Tyvek & Twinkle!
This is a workshop for students wishing to go further with Tyvek, developing new layered techniques with other synthetic fabrics to create amazing textures.

Transfer Printing & Painting
This is an old favourite of mine that I am trying to resurrect. Because you transfer onto synthetic fabrics this gives a great opportunity to decorate your own fabrics to zap.

Hot Textiles
This is the workshop of the book - A taster day to try as many techniques as we can that are mentioned in the book. Fast paced and great fun!

How do people book you if they would like you to visit their guild or group to deliver one of these workshops?
Guilds book me up to eighteen months in advance and I’m currently taking bookings for 2011. I also deliver workshops to private groups, schools and colleges. To book me you can use the contact details at the bottom of this article. I find it very helpful to have my diary on my website so anyone wanting to book me can see if the date they want has already gone.

You are running a 5-day summer school from 29 June-3 July. Can you tell us more about this and how people can book their place?
The summer school is called Tantalising Transfers and Textures and provides a great chance to experiment with and rediscover the joys of transfer printing. We will be working with the latest synthetic fabrics and some old favourites. Students will learn how to use masks and resists successfully to create wonderful effects. They will make their own printing blocks from their own design created on the course, building up layers to stitch into by machine or hand and then distressing with heat guns and soldering irons. They will work through several samples to a finished piece of work. To book phone The Connaught Centre, Hove on 01273 736491. The course costs £102.

Following the success of your first book, Hot Textiles, you are currently working on your second book. Can you tell us what this one will be about?
The title of my next book is Experimental Textiles. It is named after the four year course I wrote and delivered at City College Brighton and Hove and Northbrook College, Worthing. It is a journey through design, interpretation and inspiration. The emphasis is on creating original designs – yes! I’m afraid so, the dreaded ‘D’ word! There are many examples of students, graduates and professional artists work to inspire you to create your own masterpiece. There are exercises to help you get started and lots of ideas to help you on your creative journey. Having taught so many groups in the past few years it made me realise that there is a lot of sampling going on and not a lot of finished work. I am hoping my book will encourage readers to generate new ideas and inspire them to carry on and develop them into final products.

You can find more information about Kim here. To sign up for a gold listing so that you can appear in a Friday Focus article please click here or call us on 01386 760406.