Aung May Thinzar

This project investigates the relationship between memory, identity, and human connection to nature through material experimentation. Clay printing is central to the practice because it allows motifs drawn from memory to be physically imprinted and transferred onto silk, preserving the subtle traces of touch, pressure, and texture. Clay captures the tactile and temporal qualities of the natural world, linking the materiality of soil with textile surfaces.

Soil dyes, botanical pigments, and handmade clay are chosen for their responsiveness and variability. Each material changes with handling, light, and moisture, reflecting the ephemeral and layered nature of memory. The process of imprinting and transferring motifs creates a dialogue between material and technique, bridging childhood experiences of landscapes in China, Xishuangbanna, and Myanmar with contemporary textile practice.

By combining these methods, the project constructs a personal Silk Road of textures, cultures, and time, using materiality to explore how traditional philosophies like Tian Ren He Yi (harmony between nature and humanity) can inform contemporary design research and reconnect humans with a natural environment that is increasingly absent from daily life.

Clay prints capture the unique textures and character of soils from Xishuangbanna in China and Myanmar, recording the subtle differences between landscapes. Each imprint becomes a cultural trace, embedding memory and regional identity into the material. Through this process, earth transforms into a tactile archive, connecting place, memory, and textile through touch.

Fired clay holds the pressure and texture of embroidered motifs, capturing memory in its surface. Transferred onto silk, these marks transform soil into fabric, creating a tactile dialogue between material, culture, and time. The work embodies a journey from childhood landscapes to contemporary practice, reconnecting humans with nature through touch.