"Hi, I'm Somyot Sawasdee from Bangkok and when I was a child I liked to draw and make my own toys, so I decided to study drawing, sculpture and printing at university.
<br><br>"I did not work in the area that I had studied after I graduated, though I did work in design and advertising and it was an interesting experience. I earned a good income but after 10 years, I felt I needed to seriously start doing things I loved and so I decided to quit my job.
<br><br>"I started doing my own paintings. My style is Thai contemporary art, whereby I mix different techniques together. I had to learn more about batik work.
<br><br>"In my free time I began to create sculptures. Most of them are made from waste materials which I always thought it would be more useful to recycle rather than throwing it away. I have experience in sculpting, so I got the idea to invent robots from waste materials. I enjoyed sculpting them a lot. I also created some home decor.
<br><br>"Once I entered a contest organized by the Environment Department and I won the 1st and 3rd prizes. That encouraged and inspired me to participate in another contest the following year. Again, I won first place.
<br><br>"I began to think seriously about my own design work. I started to design new items by using various types of waste or scrap wood, paper, glass, cans, and coconut shell. Many people got interested in my products - I made some sculptures with recycled paper as the main material.
<br><br>"I was faced with many challenges, such as being too light or not strong enough. I tried to find a solution step by step. I tried to add some cement and glue to make them heavier and finally I found the best ingredients to create sturdier pieces.
<br><br>"For larger sculptures I needed to build a structure with wood, scrap wire or cans and even leftover coconut shells. Then I covered them with the mixed materials I prepared, left them to dry out in the sun, and then I paint or decorate them.
<br><br>"The most important aspect of my products is that I make them with recycled materials. They are lightweight, durable, and cost-effective due to the materials, they are environmentally friendly, and I'm reducing waste.
<br><br>"Nowadays people are paying attention to preserving the environment. When they see my work they love it a lot. This inspired me to share my knowledge, so I opened a small studio to train people who are really interested in learning about recycling materials and transforming them into sculptures.
<br><br>"Many people have begun to see the value of waste and recycling it into different products and so earn an income. My plan is to develop my project further. I want to make furniture and jewelry too. I hope you will support and follow my work, thank you."
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