Thanapol Ruksawong

My home has been the batik studio for a long time, ever since I was young.

When I was a girl, my sister taught me batik. I practiced using many old techniques from Southern Thailand and eventually became a junior master by teaching the community.

"I graduated with a degree in tourism and left the family craft for many years. But all that time, I was thinking about going home and one day taking over our batik workshop. In 2014, I did.

"Arts and crafts let you work independently. You can share your identity with others. I've felt this way since I was young.

"I use cotton, rayon and natural silk, which are eco-friendly and non-toxic. My favorite part is stamping the print, which requires concentration and patience. It takes between three to 12 days to complete.

"The motifs are created by blocking out the background with hot wax. The areas covered in wax resist the dye and retain their original color when they're painted or dyed with another color. Some batik prints repeat these painting and dyeing steps another 10 to 20 times.

"In the past, I drew the motifs by hand, using a traditional tool to apply the wax freehand. Batik prints start with white and indigo but then have other dyes added like red, brown and yellow, all of which are derived from plants.

"Our Southern Thai forests with their amazing biodiversity are a constant source of inspiration.

"I found that some Asian apparel uses my batik prints in kimonos or gowns. In addition, my work in batik can create job opportunities and help preserve our traditions at the same time. My dream is to inherit the local batik workshop from my family."