From Nomad to Nowhere

Prach Pimarnman
Curatorial essay by Thanchanok Benjajinda

From Nomad to Nowhere, broaches the impact of capitalist intervention on the once harmonious connection between the fishing community and their seaborne surroundings. In the southern region of Thailand, nestled where the Bang Nara River meets the Gulf of Thailand, lies a fishing village at the heart of Narathiwat where the descendants of sea nomads reside. Historically, the sea peoples were nomadic, sailing along coastal deltas and islands throughout the year, their livelihoods intertwined with the sea’s rhythms. However, urbanisation and land reclamation have created a constant state of residential conflict and unbelonging for the community.

Prach Pimarnman’s work captures the tension between the disappearing natural landscape and the vulnerable yet resilient community. The increasingly restricted livelihood of the community is translated in the rectangular shapes of the frames. The mark makings and traces of discarded rugged fishing nets on the artwork’s thick surface represent the Bang Nara fishing communities. Inevitably, the marks left behind by structured squares of the iron mesh grids symbolise the encroaching cityscape that is slowly wiping out the village and its way of life. The artist sources materials local to the fisherman village such as sea shells, bricks, and charcoal then pound and sieve them to create natural pigments. He also uses discarded villager’s materials such as torn fishing nets and iron mesh to create mark makings. The usage of colour pattern alludes to choropleth map. The artworks are tense in surface texture, from a mixture of local white clay and other materials, bringing to mind the geographical body of the sea and the land.

Prach’s art stands as both a memorial to what has been lost and a call to recognise the profound impact that unchecked urbanisation has on fragile communities. Through his use of local, discarded materials and neglected memories, he mirrors the community’s struggle to preserve their way of life amid the influx of capitalism. His work serves as a poignant reminder of the precarious state between humans and nature in the present time. As the landscapes of Narathiwat continue to shift, the bond between the sea people and their seaborne tradition weakens beyond their control. Yet, through the traces they leave behind—in both material and memory—the resilience of their culture endures, even as the world around them changes beyond recognition.