Sabai (Severed)

2025 - Present

Sabai (Severed) is a body of wearable sculptures made from fine metal meshes in brass, copper, and stainless steel. Typically used for filtration, shielding, and containment, these industrial materials are reimagined through traditional and experimental patination processes. Inspired by Southeast Asian dyeing practices such as Thai mudmee tie-dye and smocking, I manipulate the mesh by pleating, binding, and stamping it with wooden tools before exposing it to chemical treatments through fuming, immersion, and direct application. These resist-based methods leave textile-like impressions of compression, folding, and release, resulting in surfaces that resemble the wear and softness of silk cloth aged by time and care.

This work unfolds within a larger speculative narrative imagining nomadic Thai communities surviving in a future shaped by ecological collapse. In this imagined world, remnants of industrial infrastructure are adapted into forms of cultural wear that safeguard memory and belonging. The sabai, a shawl-like garment traditionally worn by Thai men and women, becomes a symbolic form that speaks to spiritual tethering and cultural dislocation. The sculptures transition from textile-like expanses into corded, twisted shapes, evoking a sense of severance and inheritance, grounding and unraveling. These dualities reflect the complexities of diasporic identity, where rootedness and groundlessness often coexist.