Image Courtesy: Google Doodle
On 14 April 2023, Google celebrated Sanda Bunsidth’s 104th Birthday with a doodle. Sanda Bunsidth (born on 14 April 1919 ) was a skilled and creative weaver, her innovative methods are forever intertwined with her culture.
Life and Career
Bunsidth was born in Ban Tha Muang, Thailand, on 14 April 1919. In spite of the fact that she never received any formal education, her family members taught her to read and write.
She developed a method of weaving called “bark cloth,” which she used to create khaki-colored uniforms for her husband’s job as a civil servant after she married him. Her impressive work attracted the attention of women in her town, and Bunsidth offered to teach them as well. Eventually, she organized and taught a weaving group called “Ban Rai Phai Ngam Housewives Group,” which grew to over 40 members.
The group’s designs earned praise from the public and Bunisdth reached folk-hero status across Thailand. She was lauded for her ability to use her surroundings as inspiration and keep the environment top-of-mind throughout the creation process. She instructed the group to use pure herbal dyes in fabric without any chemical additives while still managing to develop entirely new designs.
Award and Legacy
Bunsidth earned the Outstanding Folk Artist Award in 1985 and in 1986, she won the Science Society of Thailand’s award for Outstanding Lanna science and technology worker in the field of textiles. Her work continues to inspire generations of Thai weavers. On 14 April 2023, Google celebrated Sanda Bunsidth’s 104th Birthday with a doodle.