Kim Kornkanok

When I arrived in Phrae, I was lucky enough to be introduced to Kim, who generously helped me connect with several artists and creatives I hoped to photograph. We first met after a long bike ride around town. I reached Homelynestphrae, the family-run homestay where I was staying, just as the sun was setting, and took a few portraits of her in and around the house, the light slowly fading with the day.

After the shoot, Kim invited me to dinner with her and her mother. It was there, over shared food, that she began to open up. Raised in a family deeply rooted in crafts and the arts, Kim chose to study Media Arts and Design at Chiang Mai University. There, she developed an interest in mixed media, weaving together the handmade knowledge she grew up with and digital practices.

After spending time working in Chiang Mai and Bangkok, she decided to return to Phrae to help her family recover after the floods of 2024. Today, Kim moves between many roles. She works occasionally as a model and graphic designer, while also helping her family run the homestay, café, clothing brand, markets and various creative projects.

Being back in Phrae has brought her closer to nature, her family and a “nerb nerb” (slow) rhythm of life. At times, though, it can feel lonely. Few people her age have returned, and even fewer work in creative fields. She misses the diversity and energy of Bangkok and Chiang Mai, yet she believes Phrae has real potential to grow and hopes her family can be part of that revival.

The next morning, I photographed her mother first, who prepared what might be the best Northern Thai breakfast I have ever had. Kim then invited me into her bedroom, tucked inside her grandmother’s house. On the walls hung her designs, Riso prints and illustrations. She showed me several works, including her thesis installation, which includes a video of her grandmother playing with objects she designed.

The following day, Kim was organising a photo walk in town with friends. I could not join, but by then she had already done so much for me, kindly connecting me with others and offering a generous glimpse into her world.