Development and Adding Value of Community Products: Collages from the Case Study of Local Wisdom on Suea Kok (Read Mat) Weaving at Thachalaep Village, Bangkaja Sub-district, Muang District, Chanthaburi Province

Abstract

              The research on development and value added of community products : collage from reed mats at Tha Chalab Community, Bang Kacha Sub-district, Muang District, Chanthaburi Province was a research that aimed to seek knowledge and apply knowledge of visual arts in designing community products in the category of collages made from reed mats for Tha Chalab Community. The objectives were  1) to experiment with reed mats to create collages and 2) to create collages to decorate the walls with reed mats for Tha Chalab Community. The sample group included the chairman of the Ban Tha Chalab Mat Group, the chairman of the Community Enterprise of Tha Chalap Mat Learning Center, a craftsman who decorated the wall with reed mats, 3 members of Ban Tha Chalab Mat Community Enterprise Group, community representatives, 2 instructors in art-related subjects, and 2 souvenir designers. The research tools were interview questions focus group discussion, and lesson learned.

          The results of the research were as follows: 1) reed mats used to create collages for wall decoration. was the use of knowledge in the art of using reed mats leftovers from product processing and crafed with patching which the experiment, the results of the picture attached with the reed mat was new with  interesting textures and bright colors and 2) creating collages to decorate the walls with reed mats for Ban Tha Chalab Mat Community Enterprise Group was to create works from community visits, surveys, interviews, and focus group discussions and lesson learned leaded to the process of creating 10 prototype works evaluated by design experts and returning information to the community. This was for the benefit of product development reflecting local wisdom with creative economy concepts and created value added to the product model of the community with its own identity or made a difference in the same product from other communities.