Hua Hin-based artist explores connection and nature in Pak Nam Pran exhibition

An exhibition by Hua Hin-based textile artist Emma Fordham is now on display in Pak Nam Pran, bringing together influences from Thailand and Scandinavia through a series of embroidered works inspired by landscape, memory and identity.

The exhibition, titled Birch Leaves and Frangipani, is being held at Hitch & Round Cafe and runs until the end of May. The venue, which combines a café, book and vinyl shop, and the Platwoo Studio exhibition space, provides a relaxed setting for visitors to experience the collection.

Emma, a Swedish-British artist who studied painting at the Slade School of Fine Art in London, has spent the past year developing the series. Her work explores how people connect with their surroundings, particularly when living away from their home country.

Speaking to Hua Hin Today, she said the exhibition grew from a personal need to understand her relationship with her environment. “It started with being in a country that is not your home. How do you feel connection? For me, connection is engaging and being out in nature,” she said.

The exhibition’s title reflects this dual perspective. Scandinavian birch trees, often associated with her roots, are layered with the frangipani trees commonly seen across Thailand. The result is a series of works that combine remembered landscapes with those observed in everyday life.

Emma said it took time for the influence of Thailand to emerge in her work. Having previously lived in cities such as Shanghai and Hong Kong, her earlier pieces reflected urban environments, including construction scenes and cargo ships. In contrast, her current work focuses on natural elements, including coral reefs, tropical plants and the coastline, shaped by her experiences of diving and trail running in the area.

“I think it takes a year or two for things to filter through,” she said. “Here in Thailand, it’s about finding the essence of where I am now and reconnecting with that through my own eyes.”

A key feature of the exhibition is Emma’s use of embroidery, a medium she adopted after training as a painter. She explained that working with fabric and thread allows her to create textures and layers that differ from traditional painting, while retaining a painterly approach through the use of translucent materials.

Each piece is created using a combination of spray paint, machine embroidery and hand stitching on calico. The process is time-intensive, with some smaller works taking up to three months to complete due to the detailed hand embroidery involved.

“It’s really stitch by stitch,” she said. “It’s a slow process, but it’s also quite meditative. You sit with the work and with your memories for a long time.”

Among the highlights of the exhibition are embroidered map-based pieces depicting locations around Hua Hin, including Hua Hin Railway Station, Hin Lek Fai and Khao Tao Lake. These works combine geographical accuracy with personal interpretation, reflecting places that hold meaning for the artist.

Colour plays an important role throughout the collection. Bright pinks and vivid tones reflect Emma’s association with Thailand’s natural environment, while darker, more muted shades reference the forests of Scandinavia. In some pieces, flashes of lime green represent the first growth of spring birch leaves following winter.

Emma said the exhibition is ultimately intended to encourage viewers to slow down and reflect. “These artworks are about stopping, slowing down, observing, and trying to understand where I am in this moment,” she said. “Living in a different country as a foreigner can sometimes make you feel like your mind and heart are somewhere else. Looking closely at the abundant beauty of the natural world gives me a means to pause and reflect and to ground myself in the here and now.”

She added that she hopes visitors will have a similar experience when viewing the work. “Embroidery is a slow, quiet process, and I hope these works offer people a chance to become absorbed, to slow down, and feel present in the moment.”

The exhibition is open to the public during regular opening hours at Hitch & Round Cafe until the end of May.
For more information about Emma’s work, visit www.emmafordham.com

Hitch & Round Cafe is open daily, except Tuesday.
7:30am to 5pm. Google Maps: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CJjmd9TiZYxwi1JW7