Design3 Course Booklet by Angelica Uleri

WRAPPING TREES WITH STORIES

Angelica Uleri

I began by examining the furniture in my room before returning to the beginnings of their lives. I notice that wood or timber is part of almost every furniture I own, so I specifically focused on the wood industry. The goal of my project is to protect illegal logging of old growth wood rather than to stop logging because large corporations will continue to engage in illegal logging and other corrupt activities, which will encourage the government and politicians to accept additional funding and keep quiet as a result of capitalism.

Everyone holds a belief. Traveling around Thailand you would notice colours fabric wrapped around big trees. This started from the buddhist practice of ordaining trees at Baan Pha Mieng where visitors came to the temple late at night to cut trees. Illegal logging there soon came to an end after the monks there made the decision to wrap trees in yellow robes, giving the impression that there were spirits inside.

Ethic group who inhabit on Baan Pha Mieng are Lisu people who are known for their unique traditional dress. I took inspiration from Lisu’s geometric pattern and the seven-color fabric to construct the seven distinct shapes that tell stories about illegal logging on mountains in the tapestry I created for my outpost’s border. Lastly, I was inspired by a Thai environmental activist, Seub Nakhasathien who sacrificed his life to signify the importance of the environment and to preserve it. So I used the concept of “sacrificing” to allow people to devote their time doing things that we already do every day at my outpost.

This is only the beginning; over time, trees will be covered in tapestry throughout the deforested area, and this may potentially be used in other locations across the entirety of Thailand.

WRAPPING TREES WITH STORIESANGELICA ULERI

WRAPPING TREES WITH STORIESANGELICA ULERI

WRAPPING TREES WITH STORIESANGELICA ULERI

WRAPPING TREES WITH STORIESANGELICA ULERI