From Lantern Craft to Design
On a recent trip to Northern Thailand, it’s hard not to notice the colorful lanterns that appear almost everywhere—from temple courtyards to quiet village corners. They are a common sight, quietly woven into the everyday landscape. But for GHOM LANNA, these familiar forms became the starting point of something new.
The story begins with Dok Sailom, a delicately crafted floral earring made from natural bamboo. At first glance, it feels light, playful, and contemporary. What’s less obvious is that its form is inspired by traditional Lanna lanterns—objects deeply rooted in the culture of Northern Thailand.
Behind the brand is Veerasiṭ Pusuwanna, founder of GHOM LANNA. The project began as his final-year thesis while studying Industrial Design at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang. Drawing from his hometown of Lampang province, Veerasiṭ chose to explore the making of traditional Lanna lanterns—not simply as a reference, but as a process to learn from, adapt, and carry forward.
In Northern Thai tradition, learning a craft begins with a ceremony of respect to a master teacher and formally becoming a student. Veerasiṭ apprenticed under Master Monthon Pintasee, a respected Lanna lantern master from Lampang. But before learning techniques, he had to unlearn.
“We had to set aside what we thought we knew,” Veerasit recalls. “Like having a glass already filled with water—you place it aside, and become an empty glass. In that moment, I had to break down my sense of self, let go of my ego. I was no longer a designer – I became a craftsman.”
The training began with material. For the first week, everything revolved around bamboo: selecting it, cutting it, carrying it, splitting it, and shaving it into fine strips. The process was repetitive and physically demanding. Cuts and splinters were inevitable. But through repetition came understanding – the subtle differences between young and aged bamboo, the resistance of each fiber, the rhythm of the hand.
Only after this foundation was laid did Veerasit beginlearning how to construct lantern frames.
The first form he encountered was the Khom Hu Maew, or cat-ear lantern, one of the most common lantern structures found across Northern Thailand. Built from an eight-sided bamboo frame and covered with saa paper, its patterns emerge through a meticulous process of folding and cutting. When unfolded, the paper reveals symmetrical motifs—sometimes geometric, sometimes inspired by animals or nature.
This act of pattern-cutting is itself a specialized skill. In Northern Thai, artisans are known as sala. It requires not only precision, but also patience and concentration.
“Master Monthon can cut patterns without sketching,” Veerasit says. “He has more than 120 designs in his head.”
Over several months, he learned to make more than ten types of lanterns, gradually absorbing not just techniques, but ways of thinking embedded in the craft—knowledge passed down through generations. From this foundation, he developed three contemporary lantern designs as part of his thesis, marking the beginning of his transition from craft to design.
“I wanted to keep Lampang’s craft alive,” he explains“ while finding a way for it to exist in today’s market.”
This idea became the core of GHOM LANNA. By combining his background in product design with traditional craftsmanship, Veerasit began creating small-scale objects — jewelry that translates the structural beauty of lanterns into wearable forms. Bamboo, once part of a larger architectural structure, is reimagined into something intimate and personal.
The first piece, Dok Sailom, was inspired by a contemporary lantern design influenced by three traditional forms: the star lantern, the octagonal lantern, and the lotus shaped lantern. From there, the collection expanded into necklaces, bracelets, rings, and hairpins. Each piece uses natural materials such as bamboo and locally sourced glass from Lampang, while also incorporating techniques to strengthen and preserve the material for everyday wear.
Beyond jewelry, GHOM LANNA has expanded into contemporary lantern installations for hotels and resorts, while also hosting workshops that invite visitors and locals to engage with the craft firsthand. In this way, it opens up space for local craftsmanship to grow creatively while supporting sustainable livelihoods for artisans.
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