Art with Impact

We sit down with Thai artist Wishulada Panthanuvong to speak about her work, and how art can drive sustainable change.

In Bangkok's thriving creative scene, Wishulada Panthanuvong stands apart. Her art doesn't just captivate the eye - it carries a message. Crafted entirely from repurposed materials, her large-scale installations shimmer with colour and texture, reimagining waste as something poetic, even precious. “I want people to see not just what's been thrown away,” she says, “but what could be.”

It's this blend of beauty and purpose that guests at COMO Metropolitan Bangkok are invited to experience firsthand with one of the hotel's Iconic Experiences. In a rare opportunity, Panthanuvong opens the doors to her studio through a curated visit, where guests can craft their own artwork under her guidance, using upcycled materials. “It doesn't matter if someone's never studied art,” she says. “We can all be creative. We can all make a difference.”

Panthanuvong's practice has made her a rising figure in the global movement towards environmentally conscious creativity. Her signature works - vibrant mosaics made from thousands of scraps of plastic, fabric and wood - have been exhibited in leading cultural spaces, including an acclaimed installation suspended from the ceiling of ICONSIAM, Bangkok's luxury shopping landmark. “I adore every piece I make,” she says, “but that one taught me the most. It had to be technically sound, visually striking, and strong enough to win over a team not yet used to working this way.”

A natural storyteller, Panthanuvong sees art as a gateway to change. Her journey began at university, when she became aware of the environmental devastation caused by plastic pollution. “With a background in design, I felt a responsibility to turn creativity into impact,” she says.

At Panthanuvong's studio, her team works closely with local organisations that collect, clean, and sort discarded materials by colour and size - transforming waste into a creative resource. “I never use coatings or spray paint,” she explains. “Everything stays fully recyclable. I want the work to be beautiful and responsible.”

The result is a kind of visual alchemy: from a distance, her artworks are bold, colour-rich compositions, but up close, they reveal complex detail - tiny fragments layered in unexpected harmony. “An artwork might look simply blue,” Panthanuvong says, “but step closer and you'll see a thousand shades.”

During their studio experience, guests will create their own alchemy in the form of an upcycled picture frame. Why a picture frame? “Because it's symbolic,” Panthanuvong says with a smile. “I want to encourage people to see the bigger picture - to realise that small, thoughtful actions, repeated often, can change the way we live. Even a shampoo bottle or cardboard box has potential, if we're willing to look at it differently.” It's a rare kind of luxury that Panthanuvong creates: one that not only looks good - but does good too.

Please contact our concierge team for more information or to book one of COMO Metropolitan Bangkok's Iconic Experiences with Wishulada Panthanuvong..