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Recognized worldwide as the ‘Thai Silk king’, Jim Thompson successfully revived Thailand’s silk industry and raised its profile internationally.
Although James Harrison Wilson ‘Jim’ Thompson, the American founder of the brand, disappeared mysteriously while out walking in Malaysia’s Cameron Highlands in March 1967, his name lives on through his groundbreaking brand and silk company. Thompson, who had once served as a US military intelligence officer, helped revitalize the Thai silk industry during the 1950s and 1960s.
 Thai traditions handed down
'Invisible Hands', a media-based exhibition designed by Orada Singhadechachai, is currently being held at the art center at the Jim Thompson House. The production looks at the history of the brand’s success, including its interwoven relationship with countless ‘invisible hands’, which raise silkworms, spin silk yarn, weave images of folk art into silk and ensure Jim Thompson continues to offer high-quality silk and textile products.
The company spent about three to four months working with international artists to prepare for the media-based exhibition. Photos, videos and audio recordings are used to recount the history of the most successful silk company in Thailand and to echo the unique neat and stylish characteristics of Jim Thomson silk and silk products.
Divided into three rooms, each part of the exhibition uses different kinds of media to tell various stories. In the first room, local artist Jakrawal Nilthamrong uses a short film as the medium to illustrate the lives of the people who have contributed – through their ‘invisible hands’ – to creating Jim Thompson products, while also providing a glimpse of how they produce them.
In the next room, photographer Hans Fonk from Netherlands celebrates the success of ‘invisible hands’ through his ‘Rocking Faces: The Secret Stars of Jim Thompson’ exhibition. Fonk spent six years creating catalogues and an illustrated book entitled Symptoms of Jim Thompson. Not solely interested in the product, Fonk believes the unsung heroes behind the brand’s success should be treated like rock stars.
The third room features a traditional loom located behind a threaded curtain, which acts as a projector. The soundtrack hums to the sounds of the loom and other machines located at the Jim Thompson production center. The presentation was mixed by local artist Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr and Japanese artist Koichi Shimizu.
Using these unique forms of media presentations, Jim Thompson House Art Center successfully stages the stories of the workers behind the brand’s world-renowned products.
The Invisible Hands exhibition runs through November 16 at the Jim Thompson House. The art center is open during 9 am-5 pm.
 
For further information, please contact +66 (0)2 612 6741, or +66 (0)2 219 2911.
Transport connections:
Train: The Jim Thompson House is located at the end of Soi Kasemsan 2, opposite the MBK shopping center, just a short walk from the National Stadium BTS skytrain station.
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| Artists’ profiles
Hans Fonk
Hans Fonk is a renowned photographer and art director who established the interior design magazine OBJEKT International. This premium publication for designers and architects includes editorial features from around the world. It is particularly well-regarded among professionals in this field, such as product designers, architects and interior designers.
Hans Fonk came to Bangkok six years ago to shoot advertisements for Jim Thompson, produce a series of photographs of the company’s factory, weavers and workers. He designed and produced several catalogs featuring Jim Thompson textile collections, and created the illustrated book Symptoms of Jim Thompson, which was published in 2005.
Koichi Shimizu
Koichi Shimizu was born in Japan and studied sound engineering in New York. He moved to Thailand in 2003.
Shimizu’s vast range of work includes musical composition for TV commercials, sound design and scores for films, multimedia art installations, and live performances, as well as sound engineering, producing bands and organizing concerts.
Shimizu has worked with three international award-winning directors, Pen-ek Ratanaruang, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, and Aditya Assarat. Shimizu is also known as a leader of the music label and event organizing team called SO::ON Dry FLOWER, releasing unique local artists’ CDs and organizing music showcases since 2003.
Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr
Akritchalerm Kalayanamitr was born in Bangkok and he holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and international affairs from Thammasat University. Originally intending to join the diplomatic corps, Akritchalerm’s strong interest in film sidetracked him into studying film-making in the US.
His recent feature credits include Pen-ek Ratanaruang’s Ploy (2007), Apichatpong’s Syndromes and a Century (2007), and Aditya Assarat’s Wonderful Town (2008).
Akritchalerm has also been collaborating with Koichi Shimizu on a sound installation called Anat(t)a (2006-08), which has been shown twice in Bangkok and once at the 37th International Film Festival, Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
Jakrawal Nilthamrong
Jakrawal Nilthamrong was born in Thailand in 1977. He holds a Master of Fine Arts degree in art and technology studies from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, Illinois.
In 2007 he was an artist in residence at the Rijksakademie in Amsterdam. His works have been screened at the 37th International Film Festival, Rotterdam, the Netherlands; the Bangkok Experimental Film Festival, Bangkok (2008);and the 53rd International Short Film Festival, Oberhausen, Germany (International Competition,2007).
In 2007, his work was included in ‘Head or Tail: media and video works from Thailand’ at Pallas Contemporary Projects, Dublin, Ireland; while Lifeboat#2551’ was shown at the Asia Australia Arts Center, Sydney, Australia. His video installation, 'Black Air', was featured at the 37th International Film Festival, Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 2008.
Orada Singhadechachai
Orada Singhadechachai received a master’s degree in design for the environment: interior and spatial design, from Chelsea College of Art and Design, the London Institute, as well as a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok.
Her design experience includes events, interiors, venues, stage, graphic environments, and exhibitions. Since 2003, Orada has worked as co-founder and design director of Thisdesign Co Ltd.
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Art & Culture 
Art & Culture
Thailand is home to a rich cultural heritage with distinct spiritual and art lineages. Gain insight into the ways of Thai culture passed down through the centuries in addition to its more modern variations through original Art & Culture articles.
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