Supmanee Chaisansuk

For some portrait sessions, I feel apprehensive when meeting people I've never met in person, especially when they invite me to their homes. It's not out of fear of being abducted but more about how to start the conversation and break the ice to capture the best photographs. That was the case with Supmanee Chaisansuk. We had known each other through Facebook, but had never really met until I visited her studio after work.

Supmanee is an abstract painter working in a large townhouse on the outskirts of Bangkok. The ground floor was filled with canvases and paintings, while upstairs she had created a small exhibition space for visiting clients. We moved from floor to floor and reached the top in time to catch the last light of the day.

What I remember most is the conversation that developed as we moved through the house. Supmanee let me into a private working environment and shared some of the ideas behind her art. Once again, the portrait became an excuse to spend time inside someone else’s way of seeing.