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Nattha “Tonaor” Charoenpanich builds her glass art practice in Thailand where formal learning and support remain limited.
Passion carries an idea from interest into something real and meaningful. It pushes people to go deeper because they truly care about what they do.
This series continues to explore people who use passion to move ideas forward and turn them into something meaningful. This time we speak with Nattha “Tonaor” Charoenpanich, who works with glass art, a field that remains relatively rare in Thailand.
“It comes from fascination with the material itself. Glass has its own sensitivity whether through touch, sound or the way light passes through it. Each technique creates a different kind of beauty when light reflects through it.”
Here, we explore her journey.
From Discovery to Practice and Teaching
Her path began at Silpakorn University, where she studied jewellery design. During her studies, she was first introduced to glass art by a visiting glass artist at her university. That moment changed her direction. She began exploring glass art more deeply through research and reading about international artists, many of whose works had not yet been seen in Thailand.
“I studied the work of international glass artists and became very interested in it. The process of making glass is not simple compared to other materials. For example, ceramics involve shaping clay, which feels more straightforward and controlled. But glass requires heat and is very sensitive to temperature. You have to constantly control it because every technique depends on the precision of that control. It requires a lot of accuracy and attention throughout the process.”
After graduation she continued her studies in the United Kingdom. She pursued a Master’s in glass art, where she encountered a wider range of techniques and approaches rarely available in Thailand. This experience further strengthened her interest in the medium.
“I still remember my final university project. It’s still very memorable for me to this day. It was called Inner Garden. It explored childhood memories, where I translated that feeling into a garden-like space. I used clear glass throughout and created forms that felt like trees growing into chairs. Every time I think of childhood memories, it gives me a sense of calm. That was the idea behind it, like sitting inside a garden made of memory.”
After returning to Thailand, she received a scholarship from Bangkok Glass (BGC), which supports glass art education with the aim of developing Thai students and artists through international learning experiences and raising the visibility of Thai glass art on the global stage. She was selected for the programme and continued her studies in Japan, also participating in the 34th Niijima International Glass Art Festival, where she studied under Japanese glass artist Kentaro Yanagi.
Since formal glass art education in Thailand was limited, these experiences became an important part of her learning. After completing her studies, Tonaor opened her own studio in Hua Hin called Little Blue. She was later invited by her former professor to return to Silpakorn University as a lecturer, and she also teaches at Bangkok University and Chulalongkorn University.
“It’s fun teaching students and it feels fulfilling in a way. I once struggled to find a place to study this, so being able to teach now feels like a chance to pass it on to others who want to learn the same way I did.”
Today she works between Hua Hin and Bangkok, teaching in the city while creating most of her glass art in Hua Hin.
Where Nature and Glass Become Expression
“I am someone who loves nature, so most of my work comes from nature. I use organic forms and shapes that feel natural and complex in their own way. The lines are fluid and flexible, with details that reflect natural structures. I try to let that sense of nature guide the work I create.”
Tonaor usually starts her art and design work from inspiration. It depends on what she is interested in at the time, and often draws from nature or memories of childhood connected to it. Some of her work reflects those early memories, while other pieces contrast them with the present world, which can feel less livable compared to how she remembers the past in a more peaceful way.
Her preferred technique involves working directly with fire. She uses a torch burner with oxygen to reach high temperatures needed to melt glass. From there she shapes it into forms, sometimes solid rods, sometimes hollow pieces that can become objects like cups or vessels.
“I like using glass as a way to communicate my work. I give it meaning through transparency. For me, clarity in glass can represent things that cannot be touched or seen, such as feelings and emotions. It becomes a way to express what is otherwise invisible.”
From her dedication and genuine passion for glass, Tonaor expanded her practice into exhibitions such as the Thailand Glass Art Festival 2018, the first glass blowing art display in Thailand, the Relation exhibition in 2024 and the 3rd Burapha International Ceramic 2024 (BIC2024).
She also participated in the exhibition called Each Other’s at ATT 19, which brought together 12 creatives across different disciplines alongside 12 floral artists. She collaborated with Wake Up In The Garden, a floral artist. Vessel makers were invited to create forms for flowers, while floral artists were invited to bring life into the empty spaces within those vessels.
The event explored the idea of vessels as more than objects, expanding their meaning beyond function into dialogue between form and life. Here she worked alongside a Thai local artist, helping bring glass art closer to a wider local audience.
Evolving Practice Through Education and Experimentation
“From the beginning, I wanted to grow this community by bringing international artists into Thailand. But today, I also want to expand my knowledge locally and teach more classes to people who are interested.”
Nowadays, she continues to study glass techniques she finds online, especially from international creators and tries them out herself. It keeps her learning process active and also allows her to bring new ideas back to her students, who always have questions. She focuses on developing herself so she can pass that knowledge on in a more meaningful way.
In the future, she hopes to explore new directions in her work, including a project that transforms leftover glass materials into jewellery or art pieces. It is a way for her to rethink how glass can be reused, rather than always starting with new material.
“Because glass used in glass art today is quite expensive and most tools and materials are imported, it can be hard to access. So I want to explore more materials that can be sourced in Thailand.
It is a bit more challenging because recycled glass carries internal stress from its previous form. When we reuse it, we need to reheat and essentially reset its structure again. It is not necessarily difficult, but it does require experience and understanding of the material to work with it properly.”
Talking to Tonaor reflects how her practice moves between curiosity and discipline. Glass becomes both material and language, shaped through constant testing, teaching and rethinking what it can be. What stands out is not only how she works with the medium, but how she continues to open space for it to grow within a still emerging community in Thailand.
