It was the historic Lan Na city of Phrae, in the Yom Valley of Northern Thailand, wrere Hathaithip spent her childhood. During subsequent years, Hathaithip has formed a splendid collection of documentary textile fragments from the antique looms of Hmong, Yao, Lisu, Naga and Karen weavers. Some of these textiles have been incorporated into her silk weavings: her Silk Walls. These walls allow us to step back and view these hill tribe textiles in a fresh and thoroughtly modern context.

For Hathaithip, the Silk Walls will always represent the running waters of the Lan Na river valleys as they cut through the foothills of the Himalaya, anchored by giant teakwood forests, a landscape punctuated by century-old Buddhist temples and chedi with golden crowns, seeming to float inside a sea of verdant rice fields. These are the inspirations brought together by the simple pleasure of the loom.

Silk Walls 2011