For the March 2017 issue, we journey to Southeast Asia. We discovered two things about Thailand. First, three out of every four people live in a village, which continues to be an important source of inspiration and faith for designers and artists. But isn’t urbanisation inevitable? These stories help us reconsider the role of the village in the 21st century, perhaps even in our own country. Second, Thais are worldly: there are stories of exchange with Turkey, China, Myanmar, Laos, Japan and Australia.
Words and images in this issue give us a glimpse of the creativity and values in Southeast Asia today, along with the usual mix of stimulating stories from around our region. And at the heart of it is Alice Pung’s thoughtful quarterly essay about Vipoo Srivilasa, the Thai-born ceramicist who has colonised galleries across Asia with his army of cuteness.
