Profile

Born in Kaeng Khoi in Saraburi, the central part of Thailand, in 1975, Uthis Haemamool graduated from Silpakorn University with a degree in painting, sculpture, and printmaking. “The Brotherhood of Kaeng Khoi,” his third full novel, was published in 2009 and established his position as an author. He won the Southeast Asian Write Award and the Seven Book Award for it in the same year, and was cited as one of the most important people in Thailand on the CNNGo show. In 2013, he was invited to speak along with the noted Thai film director Apichatpong Weerasethakul in “Work in Memory,” an artists workshop held by the Kyoto City University of Arts Art Gallery @KCUA. Based on his interchange with six Japanese artists who also took part in this workshop, he subsequently wrote a medium-length novel titled “Kyoto: Hidden Sense.” From 2014 to 2015, Haemamool served as editor-in-chief of “Writer Magazine,” a Thai literary magazine, and “Prakod,” a literary journal published by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture in the Thai Ministry of Culture.
In June 2017, his latest novel “Pratthana – A Portrait of Possession” (The original title in Thai: “Rang Khong Pratthana”) was published in Thai. In the same year, he held an exhibition ”Silhouette of Desire” in Bangkok with his own drawings and paintings. In 2018, he was chosen for Siplathorn Award for Literature by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand.

Born in Yokohama in 1973 and formed the theatre company chelfitsch in 1997. Since then he has written and directed all the company’s productions, practicing a distinctive methodology for creating plays, and has come to be known for his use of hyper-colloquial Japanese and unique choreography. In 2005, his play “Five Days in March” won the prestigious 49th Kishida Drama Award, and “Air Conditioner” was a finalist at the Toyota Choreography Awards 2005. In February 2007 his collection of novels “The End of the Special Time We Were Allowed” debuted and was awarded the Oe Kenzaburo Prize. While his stories and plays continue to be published in Japan, his works have also been translated into many languages and published abroad. In 2016-2019 season, he has been commissioned to directed works in a repertory program at the Munich Kammerspiele, one of foremost public theaters in Germany, for four consecutive seasons.

Born in Kyoto in 1979, graduated the art course of the Literary Research Dept. of Kansei Gakuin University in 2004. He currently lives in Osaka. In 2006 Tsukahara formed the unit contact Gonzo with Masaru Kakio in Osaka. The unit began performing in parks or on the streets in an improvisational style of physical contact that explored what they termed “Philosophy of pain, technique of contact.” As solo projects, he directed “KOBE-Asia Contemporary Dance Festival” presented by NPO DANCE BOX and performance program of “Tokyo Art Meeting V Seeking New Genealogies−Bodies / Leaps / Traces” held at Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo in 2014. From 2015, he had been presented performance “Trilogy for Nukamuri Jamipos my future friend” for 3 years at the performance project “PLAY” started from 2014 at Marugame Genichiro-Inokuma Museum of Contemporary Art. From 2011 to 2018, he served as a fellow of The Saison Foundation. He was appointed as co-program director at Kyoto Experiment from 2020.

Born in Bangkok in 1985, Artamat is a graduate of Thammasat University, where he majored in film. He subsequently became captivated by live performances, and started working in theater as a project coordinator for Bangkok Theatre Festival 2008. He joined the New Theatre Society in 2009, and gradually won recognition as a director utilizing various experimental forms and unconventional theatrical approaches. He is especially interested in exploring how the society remembers, and unremembers, its history by means of certain days on the calendar. He also co-founded For What Theatre in 2015 to serve as a platform for raising questions about phenomena in contemporary society and the very format of theatre itself. His work “This Song Father Used to Sing / Three Days in May” was presented at Kunstenfestivaldesarts and Wiener Feswochen in May 2019.

Born in 1986, Tokyo. Thai literary researcher, and Thai-Japanese translator. Specially-Appointed Lecturer at Global Initiative Center, Kagoshima University. He is the author of “Notes for Thai Contemporary Literature” (2017, Fukyo-sha) and co-author of other works including “72 Chapters for Knowledge of Thailand” (2014, Akashi Shoten), “Apichatpong Weerasethakul: The Artist of Light and Memory” (2016, Film Art). He is translating “Wake Up New (Tun Bon Tiang Un)” by Prabda Yoon, appeared serially in Genron. “Pratthana – A Portrait of Possession” (The original title in Thai: “Rang Khong Pratthana”, Author: Uthis Haemamool), which is the original novel of this work and he worked on translating, was published from Kawade Shobo Shinsha Publisheres inc. in June 2019.

Graduated from Mass Communication, Chaing Mai University, Phantachat is Co-Artistic Director and Founder of B-Floor Theatre; a movement-based theatre group in Bangkok. She is a Thai contemporary theatre director and dynamic physical performer. She has been performed in many productions of the company and be parts of several international collaboration projects in Germany, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and the USA. She has been praised as “one of the best stage actresses in the country”. Winner of the Silpathorn Award presented by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand in 2014. Recently in 2016, her role in a short movie “Ferris Wheels” brings her the best actress award from “ShortShorts Film Festival & Asia 2016”.

After graduating the faculty of Engineer at Chulalongkorn University, where he also studied Stage Lighting in the faculty of Arts and gained experience as an actor and lighting designer, he became a member of Democrazy Theatre Studio, where his role is a lighting designer and an actor. His outstanding theatrical achievements are: a performer in the performance “Fundamental”, by Teerawat Mulvilai from B-Floor Theatre, winning IATC Thailand Awards 2016 as the best performance by an ensemble, the best art direction and the best movement-based performance, a lighting designer for the play “Boxes”, by Adjima Na Pattalung, being nominated for five awards in IATC Thailand Awards 2014 and winning the best art direction, and actor in the play “Jao Rok – Imaginary Invalid” By Parnrut Kritchanchai from New Theatre Society, in which he played three characters.

A Thai actress and singer, mostly with credits in stage performances including musical theatre, holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Performing Arts by Bangkok University, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Music Theatre by Australian Institute of Music. In the profession as a singer, she is skilled in several styles including jazz, pop, Bossa, disco, musical, etc. She has professionalized in dubbing works also. With the talent she has shown in acting since a very young age, Kongnisai is a well trained and experienced stage performer. However, despite the already outstanding career, she continues to pursue her dream as a performer, a career not only defined by the beauty, elegance, and grace she has held.

Samakkabutr has been working in the fields of theatre and performing art as performer, lighting designer, and producer with many theatre groups in Thailand to pursue her passion for performing arts and develop her skills for art profession since 2000, after graduating from Thammasat University in major of Drama, and from Chulalongkorn University in major of Speech Communication & Performing Arts. As an actress, she has continuously performed with various directors, Thai and international, such as Adjima Na Pattalung, Nikorn Saetang, Pradit Prasartthong, Wichaya Artamart, Oriza Hirata, and Mikuni Yanaihara. She is also co-founder and producer at Democrazy Theatre Studio, Bangkok, the progressive and independent studio that has produced a wide range of theatre works, events, and international festivals. Furthermore, she has been working with Democrazy to support a new generation of professional theatre practitioners, and new audience in Thailand.

A Bangkok-based performer, director, and producer, Siriwanij began acting while studying at Chulalongkorn University, where she received her M.A and B.A in English Literature. Having trained with various types of theater, she eventually joined B-Floor Theatre as a full-fledged member in 2009, and has been continuously performing in physical theater productions with the company both in Thailand and abroad since. Her directorial works began debuting in 2013. One of her recent work was a performance titled “OH! ODE” (Oh! What Joy, What Goodness, What Beauty Calls For Ode No.7012) at WTF Gallery and Cafe, Bangkok, in 2017, and won her ‘Best Performance by a Female Artist’ award at IATC 2017. Sasapin is also B-Floor Theatre’s project manager for many international collaborative projects, as well as working independently with international collaborators. She is currently Artistic Director of Bangkok International Performing Arts Meeting (BIPAM).

Graduated from Faculty of Communication Arts, Chulalongkorn University majoring in Performing Arts, he studied Dramatic arts from Faculty of Arts as a minor subject. He did a trainee position in Moradokmai theatre troop, the Thai troop believing in the Buddhist way of living and also merging the Buddhist philosophy into the methods of acting, directing and storytelling. He is a freelance actor, appearing both on stage and TV series, and also engages himself in directing his own work and writing script for TV series.

A co-artistic director of B-Floor Theatre. He is a versatile theater artist, who is also a performer, a dancer, and a director of physical theater. His works combine fine arts and performing arts, seeking to critique the society and politics, addressing injustice, violence, and structural problems that impact people’s lives. He is hailed as one of the most critically and socially conscious directors of our time. In 2012, he was honored with Piti Silp Santhi Dhamma Awards for his outstanding and continuous work that promotes peace, democracy, and justice. He also has numerous experiences in internationally collaborations with various artists. Recently, he had co-directed the final work of 3 years [2016-2018] collaboration between B-Floor Theatre and a Seoul based physical theatre group; Momggol theatre and won IACT Award 2019, Best Art direction, Best Movement base Performance, Best performance by Ensemble. In 2018 he has been chosen for Silpathorn Award for Performing Arts by the Office of Contemporary Art and Culture, Ministry of Culture of Thailand.

Born in Bangkok in 1992. Graduated from faculty of Journalism and Mass Communication, Thammasat University. In 2014, he formed a theatre company Splashing Theatre Company with his friends and started to direct and write almost all of the productions by the company. From film studies background, he often used a film genre to create a story and to show how those genres shape a people who live in. In 2016, he won ‘Best Play’ and ‘Best Original Script’ awards from IATC 2016 from his play ‘The Disappearance of the Boy on a Sunday afternoon’

An actor and a co-founder of a theatre company, Splashing Theatre Company. He graduated from the faculty of political science, Thammasat University. He practiced and gained experience in theatre at a drama club Thammasat (TU Drama). He has experience in many kinds of theatre such as dance, physical theatre, musical and he loves acting. Besides being an actor for the company, he also acted for other theatre troupes such as B-Floor Theatre and Anatta Theatre Troupe. Winner of IATC 2016 “Best Performance by Male Artist”.

As a performer, she works with progressive theatre companies such as B-Floor Theatre and Democrazy Theatre Studio. She graduated from the Faculty of Arts at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok. Recently, she worked in a Thai-German collaboration piece, “Happy Hunting Ground” (2016) by Democrazy Theatre Studio staged in Bangkok, Germany, and Switzerland. She also performed in “Manoland” (2015) an absurd dance by B-Floor Theatre and “yoo-dee” (2014) a children’s play staged in Bangkok as well as in Sendai and Tokyo in Japan.

A multi-talented Thai performer; an actor, singer, songwriter and playwright. He rose to prominence as the lead in the Thai movie ‘Love of Siam’. The movie found international fame in South East Asia and China. As a solo artist, he goes by the name ‘PCHY’, releasing albums for his legion of Thai and Chinese fans. In recent years, he has branched out into stage acting. At IATC 2016 his original musical “Cocktails” won awards in the categories of ‘Best Musical’ and ‘Best Performance by Male Artist’. In 2018, “{private conversation} : A Farewell To Love Of Siam,” a solo performance written by Witwisit won ‘Best Adapted Script For A Performance/ Play at IATC awards.

Born in 1981 and residing in Tokyo, Kyoko Fujitani is a costume designer and has been a member of FAIFAI since 2004. She has designed and made costumes for drama, dance, movies, fashion photography and art performances and has collaborated with many foreign and Japanese artists. She also actively gives workshops for children and the local community.

A theatre designer and researcher. Graduated master degree in theatre design from Chulalongkorn University,Thailand. She has been working as a lighting designer for numerous theatre productions. Also as a design director of DuckUnit, a Bangkok-based multidiscipline design studio. Her works ranged from concerts, theatre to experimental performance. Her passion in exploring the possibilities of lighting results in the latest collaboration with Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s first performance “Fever Room” which is concerning light and smoke. Besides her artistic contributions she also lecture in Theater Design and do research in the topic “Non-Human Performance” and ”Time-image in Performing Arts.”

Born in 1981, Araki is a sound artist and musician. Using the techniques of sound documentaries and field recordings, he builds sound-centered listening space combining things around us and recordings. His works include theater pieces using multi-track speakers and objects, and sound installations.

Born in Japan in 1986. Photographer. Graduated from the Department of Graphic Design Course at Kyoto Seika University. In 2010, joined contact Gonzo as a performer and form the criminal family Hanzai boys with NAZE. Publish “bonna nezze kaartz” every month since 2015.

Kazushi Ota is known for his construction of huge outdoor theaters for every performance as the stage director for Ishinha, an Osaka-based theatrical troupe. He was involved in almost all performances by Ishinha from 1992 to 2017, when the troupe disbanded. He also handled the theater plan for outdoor performances. Now working freelance as a stage director and technical director, he has helped to stage numerous performances of dance and theater as well as other events. Since 2017, he has also been serving as the technical director for the Kyoto Performing Arts Center and the Kyoto Art Theater.

Thai-Japanese translator and interpreter. Bachelor degree in Information Engineering from Osaka University, Japan, Master degree in Information Sciences from Harvard University, USA. Had some experience in translation software development, then got addicted to do the job by human brain. Wide range of translation work from Japanese to Thai, from documentary to novels from various writers such as : “Colorless Tsukuru Tazaki and His Years of Pilgrimage”, “IQ84” (Haruki Murakami), “IP/NN” (Kazushige Abe), “The Bridegroom Was a Dog”（Yoko Tawada）and others.

Graduated Bachelors degrees with Honours in the Japanese Section, Department of Eastern Languages, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University. In 2015, she got a scholarship from the Education Ministry for a Japanese language / culture studies student at Osaka University for a year. She worked as a translator for a publishing house when she was still a university student, and has translated many comic books and light novels.

Born in Kumamoto and grew up in Bangkok. After finishing her Ph.D. coursework in Japanese Literature at Osaka University, she taught as a part-time lecturer before taking her position as a lecturer of the Japanese Section, Department of Eastern Languages, Faculty of Arts, Chulalongkorn University in 2012. She spent five months as a research fellow (Japan Foundation) at the Department of Japanese Language and Literature, School of Education, Waseda University in 2014. Matana’s area of specialization is modern and contemporary Japanese literature. She is also an active translator of works by contemporary authors such as Haruki Murakami, Hiromi Kawakami and Toshiki Okada.

Born in 1979, Nakamura became involved in performing arts while she was an undergraduate in the College of Art at Nihon University. She founded precog Co., Ltd. in 2006 and has been its Representative Director since 2008. precog has produced the works of artists inside and outside Japan, including Toshiki Okada’s chelfitsch, Mikuni Yanaihara’s Nibroll, and Norimizu Ameya, and handled international tours and joint productions in 70 cities in 30 different countries. In 2009, she established the NPO Drifters International with Kao Kanamori and the architect Teppei Fujiwara. She served as Performance Program Director for the Kunisaki Art Project 2012 and Kunisaki Art Festival 2014, and Co-Curator of “Jejak-Tabi Exchange: Wandering Asian Contemporary Performance” beginning in 2018. In 2016 and 2017, she did research in Bangkok for a period of 18 months and in New York for six months, with support from the Asian Cultural Council. Over the years 2011 – 2015, she was active as a part-time instructor in theatrical studies at the Nihon University College of Art. She is one of the directors of the Open Network for Performing Arts Management (ON-PAM).