Jai Yong- The Real Deal

Huen Jai Yong embodies the reinvention of Lan Na- in all its positive manifestations. A family-run eating establishment, serving real northern Thai food, it is also an artistic haven. The vision behind its new art gallery is Lipikorn Makaew- painter, musician and maker of traditional musical instruments, notably the 'pin pia', a chest-resonated "stick zither" which some consider the "national instrument of Thailand". (Below is a photo from 2010 of Khun Lipikorn demonstrating the instrument.)

The restaurant is spread out among several buildings which evoke an old Thai village in their materials and arrangement with intermittent vistas of greenery. Paintings adorn the walls and in one area old water jugs hang from the ceiling in the traditional way. The menu is a paper checklist of several dozen items, all in Thai so bring someone who can translate. We've been tempted to start at the top and work our way down, leaving it to serendipity. Do not, however, miss their version of 'gaeng Hunglay' (Hunglay curry)- we often end up ordering two dishes to satisfy our craving. The meal must also be accompanied by 'khao niao', or sticky rice, a northern Thai staple. Typically a meal consists of a basket of sticky rice which is then flavored by dipping into the various small dishes of meat, soups and vegetables. You will not go away hungry if the 'khao niao' is consumed- it fills in all the gaps and keeps you sated for hours. The rest is just spice for the rice.

Venture down the brick path between the buildings to a small footbridge behind the restaurant, and the new gallery and art compound presents itself. Some fun sculptures made with basket materials greeted us as we crossed the bridge (above).

Inside the gallery Khun Lipikorn has a small, well-displayed exhibition of antique, traditional 'seua yan', or yantra shirts, which used to be worn for protection from malevolent forces and have now mostly been replaced by 'sak yant' (tattoos). These shirts were his inspiration for the half dozen outfits displayed in black and white pairs down the center of the space. He has painted and drawn his own version of protective iconography on these in red, black, white and gold.

The surrounding buildings include exhibition space and some other artists' works, private dining rooms, and a small shop with locally produced goods for sale. 

By noon the cars are parking on the main road and the tables are mostly filled, so it pays to either come early or later, after the midday rush, tho before 4pm when it closes. You will find the restaurant on Rte.1317, a.k.a. the 'new San Kamphaeng road', which is the eastern extension of the Mahidol highway which ends at the west at the airport. From Chiang Mai head east and go past the red light at Rte.1014 to Bawsang; make a U-turn at the turnoff to San Kamphaeng and the restaurant entrance is on the south side with a large tree (and probably lots of cars) marking the street.

Craft, Art, and Spirituality - all in a day's touring

In need of an adventure, our local informal textile group headed to the annual 'Don Luang Cotton Fair' south of Lamphun. Thanks to the skill of our driver, we found it- well-hidden down a lane off the main road, south of Pasang. The Fair turned out to be the entire village decked out in cotton wares for sale.



Evidently this village, and the surrounding enclaves, comprise a sort of cottage industry making a large variety of cotton products, many of which are sold in shops in Chiang Mai. The hit of the fair seemed to be tufted rugs, which most of our group bought. Disappointing, however was the volume of cheap, printed cotton readymade apparel brought in to fill out the Fair. I guess the thrill of the hunt was to find the handwoven, naturally-colored pieces for which this area was once famous.

Having exhausted my capacity for shopping, I wandered around the tiny temple in the center of the village

and was rewarded with some interesting images of reflections and a pair of monk statues housed in a shrine,

as well as a shot of the local PTT petrol station.

After lunch, it was time to move on to our last stop: Dhamma Park Foundation. This very special environment is the creation of two artists: Venetia Walkey and Inson Wongsam. Inson was away, but Venetia graciously provided snacks and congenial conversation prior to our informal tour given by her son Tony. Not only the site of their home, studios and galleries, it is also an artpark, with Inson's large colorful sculptures accenting the lush greenery of the gardens.



Several galleries are open, including a small gallery housing Venetia's whimsical bronzes (below),


and, across the lily pond and bridge, a handsome white building devoted to her plaster sculptures showing light-hearted, contemporary depictions of the Buddhist Pathway to Inner Peace and World Peace.




In a large, old traditional Thai teak house Inson shows a variety of his works, including sculptures, large carved wood bas reliefs, and the original Lambretta motorscooter on which he rode to Europe in the early 1960's. (That odyssey was commemorated by artist Nawin Rawanchaikul in a show called 'Fly With Me To Another World- the unforgettable story of a Thai artist who made his dreams come true').

In the open area under this structure we were given a demonstration of cotton production from cleaning and carding to spinning,

and finally weaving

- they grow their own cotton on an adjacent plantation. This was a wonderful supplement to our morning of cotton shopping, where there were no demonstrations. And it was a great finale to a day of craft, art and spirituality.

The Two Journeys

Official opening: Venetia in black and white, and Inson behind her in shades of grey

January 6, 2011 was the inaugural of a retrospective for two artists whose journeys have been rich in spirit, vision and inspiration. Inson Wongsam, a Thai printmaker, woodcarver and sculptor literally journeyed from east to west on a Lambretta motorscooter in the 1960's, ultimately returning to his home in Pasang (south of Chiang Mai) in the 1970's. Venetia Walkey, a British artist and his wife, came to Thailand in the 1970's and never left, continuing her work as a sculptor and an ardent advocate for spiritual and environmental awareness. Together, they have created an amazing oeuvre, embodied in the site of their home and studios: Dhamma Park and Heritage Garden, located in Pasang. For this exhibition, many earlier works which are not on display at Dhamma Park, were shown, as well as pieces from the collections there. Filling four floors of attractive, well-lit gallery space, the show is a treat for the eyes and mind.

Panorama of an upper gallery showing Inson's prints and sculptures

Venetia's bronze of mating geckos

Two levels of galleries

Venetia's witty bronzes


Inson's carved and gilded relief panels


Venetia's conte drawing of two felines



Inson's large print