Jiratchaya Pripwai

I first met Jiratchaya Pripwai during a visit to Jing Jai Gallery, where Chol, whom I had photographed shortly before, introduced us. In January 2025, she welcomed me to her home and studio on the outskirts of Chiang Mai. Although she was born in Isan, Jiratchaya and her family moved to Chiang Mai when she was four years old, so in many ways the city has always felt like home.

What began as a meditative, therapeutic drawing practice to calm her mind and improve her focus became a lifelong passion. Determined to pursue art professionally, she first studied at Chiang Mai University and later earned a master’s degree in Painting at Silpakorn University. Although she now works predominantly with paint, Jiratchaya says her approach remains closer to drawing: repetitive yet distinctive patterns that explore her mental states and reflect personal experience.

As we sat together in her garden, watching butterflies drift by, she spoke about how the tranquillity of her surroundings inspires her work. For her, creating is about peace and silence; she hears no melody in her mind while painting or drawing. For me, though, her work felt almost the opposite, like a vivid symphonic orchestra of colours and shapes unfolding before my eyes.