Exploring beauty in the everyday

Samorn Sanixay is a weaver and textile artist based in Canberra, Australia. She has spent almost twenty years honing her craft in textiles and natural dyeing.

Samorn's journey into natural dyeing and weaving began in 2002 when she had the opportunity to return to her birthplace of Laos. During this time, she worked as a consultant with UNICEF, a researcher and scriptwriter for children's story books. The job took her to remote villages in Southeast Asia and it was during one of these trips that Samorn stumbled upon a group of weavers in a small village in northern Laos. It was a life-changing moment, as she watched the skilful hands of the weavers moving through the warp and weft. Samorn felt a deep appreciation for the labour that went into weaving such beautiful fabrics that had been created on simple looms made of bamboo and wood.

Upon returning to Vientiane, Samorn met Master weaver Khaisy Sophabmixay and embarked on a 2 year apprenticeship (2002-2004) under Khaisy’s guidance and that of several village weavers. She learned the intricate art of traditional weaving and dyeing techniques from the renowned textile region of Sam Neau in north-eastern Laos. Traditional knowledge of weaving techniques are passed down through generations from mothers and grandmothers. The experience of creating textiles from scratch and working alongside nature solidified her passion for preserving these traditional crafts.

Upon completing her apprenticeship in 2004, Samorn shared her vision to set up a small enterprise with Khaisy. In 2005, Samorn and Khaisy co-founded the Eastern Weft weaving cooperative to support disadvantaged young Lao artisans from ethnic minority hill tribes through the production of traditional textile crafts. Immediately, they commenced work on their first collection of textiles.

In 2006, Eastern Weft was invited to collaborate with the French Ministry of Culture (Ministère de la culture) to create several couture pieces for the exhibition Metissage with Frederic Molenac as Creative Director. Samorn was later invited on design internship with Frederic in Paris, France.

Since relocating back to Australia in late 2006, Samorn remains committed to the philosophy of working locally and seasonally with nature to continue the legacy of natural dyeing and indigenous textile and weaving techniques.

Eastern Weft's exquisite textiles have garnered attention from esteemed fashion and interior designers and have been featured in prestigious exhibitions worldwide, including Paris and Japan. In 2019, their dedication to the craft was recognized with an award for Best Supplementary Weft textiles at the ASEAN Textile Awards.

Samorn’s textile practice has developed over the years, blending influences from her Lao-Australian background. She combines traditional Lao techniques with Australian materials like merino wool and leather along with locally-sourced dyes. Her continued work in experimenting with local native plants and eucalypts is a commitment to exploring new possibilities in colour and enriching her artistic repertoire.