Assoc. Prof. Worarun Boonyasurathana

Faculty of Fine Arts, Chiang Mai University

Industry : Advocacy

Chiang Mai’s creative identity rests not only on what has survived from the past, but on the people ensuring its skills and traditions remain visible. For decades, Associate Professor Worarun Boonyasurathana has been one of those advocates, documenting, researching and promoting Lanna art and craftsmanship.

Her route into cultural preservation began with scholarship. At Silpakorn University, her master’s thesis examined the architectural evolution of Lanna temple pediments in Chiang Mai, exploring how design, religious belief and local history shaped one of northern Thailand’s distinctive architectural traditions.

Worarun subsequently took that knowledge well beyond academia, working with artisans, cultural organisations and creative communities through research, exhibitions and collaborative projects. Her contribution has helped connect local craftsmanship with new audiences while drawing attention to the cultural and economic value contained in traditional skills.

That sustained engagement has also formed part of a much larger story for Chiang Mai. Her work contributed to the city’s development as a UNESCO Creative City of Crafts and Folk Art and to its recognition as a World Craft City.

At the heart of Worarun’s advocacy is an important distinction: preserving heritage means more than protecting objects or documenting techniques. It also means sustaining the craftspeople, knowledge and creative communities through which traditions continue – and giving them space to evolve.