About
I am Chitphavan, an artist from Sam Neua, Huaphan in the Northern part of Laos. My mom taught me to weave when I was just five years old. As the only girl in my family, it was my role to continue this cherished skill. When I was ten, my family moved to Vientiane, where I began using my weaving to earn money for my education. I bought my own textbooks and paid for my tuition from the fourth grade onwards.
I woke up at 4 AM every day to weave, a practice I continued until she finished high school. Following my mother's traditional belief that higher education wasn't necessary for a woman, I stopped attending school. Although my studies ended, I never stopped weaving. Instead, I continued to earn money to support my two younger brothers so they could both complete their bachelor's degrees.
In 2009, I met my husband, a Japanese man working in Laos. With a small budget, I managed to save and build my very own loom. Since then, I had officially become the artist, Chitphavan.