3rd November 2014,
With his enthusiasm for new ideas, different cultures, current affairs and the environment, Tul Lekutai, architect and principal of Deco Moda Studio in Chiang Mai is passionate about using design as a way to spearhead creative solutions that would contribute to a better world.
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Can you tell us about your background?
I graduated from the Faculty of Architecture, Chiang Mai University in 2001. At the beginning of my career I have been inspired to become a product designer. I established Deco Moda Studio with my university friend 12 years ago. Our focus was primarily on furniture and lighting design. Nevertheless during that time, more clients were also demanding architecture and interior design. A couple years later we expanded our design services to include architecture, interior and corporate design.
I am happy to say our work experience comprises a good mix of big to small and local to international works. Unlike most design firms, we are situated amidst a rich exotic culture and beautiful natural surroundings. This serves as our inspiration and we integrate these elements into our strong design foundations.
Aside from design work, I contribute to other initiatives and events like Creative Chiang Mai, NAP (Nimmanhemin Art and Design Promenade), Chiang Mai Design Awards and TEDx Chiang Mai. I am also a full time “Life and Design” columnist for the Posttoday newspaper. I enjoy drawing cartoons and playing drums as my hobby.
You will be one of the key speakers in ID CON 2014. What will you be presenting
during the event?
The topic will be on the Aging Society – an inconvenience truth of Thailand in these few decades.
Can you tell us about your current and upcoming works? What are the projects that you have undertaken and those that are in the pipeline?
Deco Moda Studio is one of the core teams who will be working on the upcoming event called “Design Week” which will be held in Chiang Mai from 6th-15th December 2014. Hosted by TCDC (Thailand Creative and Design Centre), “Design week” will bring together creatives, companies and government agencies from the local and international arena to partake in design forums, seminars, workshops, concerst, showcases and art festivals scattered within the city of Chiang Mai. Furthermore we’re working on 7 other different projects (3 interior design projects, 1 residential design, 1 corporate design project for a university, 1 packaging design for a royal project under the royal patronage of His Majesty the King and 1 commercial space design project).
How have you grown as a designer over
the years? What contributed the most to
your growth?
I have learned to learn new things in any place at any time with anyone. Old knowledge is replaced by new ideas. Travelling and meeting with many people make me recognize the good things from The East and The West. I believe we need to be ambitious but also be patient when failure happens because it is unavoidable if you want to be succeed.
Any advice to established as well as upcoming designers and those involved in the design industry?
For this, I will quote one paragraph from the author, John Howkins’ book, “The Creative Economy – How People Make Money from Ideas” (page 98): “For a long time copyright material was protected by a mix of good laws and bad technology. By good law, I mean law that was fair and effective, and whose penalties were proportionate to infringement. By bad technology, I mean technology’s inability to make good copies. The best protection of copyright is a legal copy that is cheaper or more easily available or better quality than an illegal one.”
