KP Sharma
To mark 50 years of tourism in Bhutan and strengthen cultural ties between Bhutan and Thailand, the Department of Tourism (DoT) and Chundu Consultancy organised a cultural exhibition in Paro yesterday.
The event featured a collaboration between Chuni Dorji Prive and SARRAN, showcasing 12 models in a unique blend of Bhutanese and Thai cultural designs and ornaments.
The exhibition was led by one jeweller and one designer from Bhutan and the other from Thailand, who aims to preserve their distinct cultures in modern times.
SARRAN is art-to-wear mastery of pieces by visionary artitst, Sarran Youkongdee of Thailand.
Bleu Dorji, one of the event coordinators from Bhutan, highlighted Bhutan’s rich cultural heritage as the motivating factor to host the event. “Although Bhutan has so much to show to the world in terms of its unique culture, sometimes things turn out differently.”
She added that the platform provided an opportunity for her Thai counterpart to share his passion in the cultural field, helping build strong people-to-people connections over time.
Bleu Dorji described the exhibition as the result of long-term planning and a dream come true.
“The artist has a deep interest and passion for Bhutanese culture, and when we first started discussing the event, Sarran showed immediate interest in Bhutanese crafts,” she said.
She further stated that the collaboration would continue in Thailand in the coming months, with plans to explore other avenues thereafter.
The Thai designer, Sarran, expressed his commitment to creating platforms for women through such exhibitions.
“Women are usually left behind by the community, and most platforms are for men. Being raised by a single mother and sisters, I dedicate my passion to creating bigger platforms for women,” he said.
Sarran also highlighted the importance of celebrating Asian culture and building stronger partnerships to preserve it.
Explaining his decision to collaborate with Bhutan, Sarran said that Bhutanese culture and tradition are unique and this collaboration also helps boost tourism in Bhutan. “This is the first collaboration, and a lot of collections from Thailand have been fused with Bhutanese fashion.”
He praised Bhutan’s efforts to preserve its culture in an era of modernisation. “We don’t see culture being preserved like the way it is done in Bhutan.”
Sarran hopes to help countries preserve their culture and crafts by blending them with modern fashion to appeal to contemporary audiences.
The event was attended by Lyonchhen Tshering Tobgay and other officials from the tourism and related industries.