“Woven in Silk” is exploring the socio-economic transformation unfolding in Laos, a landlocked, communist country in mainland Southeast-Asia. Laos is rapidly shifting from a traditional agrarian society to a modern economy. This transformation is heavily influenced by China, which views resource-rich, low-income Laos as an ideal partner to expand its economic reach across the region. In the last decades, hydro dams, mining operations, special economic zones, large-scale agricultural trade, and major infrastructure developments have reshaped the country’s economic landscape.

 

Since moving to Laos in 2017 to work as a geography researcher, I’ve been living in the country and closely witnessing its changes. Over time, my fascination with Laos’s transition only deepened, leading me to leave my full-time research job in 2020 to tell this story through photography. I was driven by the desire to document this pivotal moment and to explore how global forces were reshaping everyday life in Laos.

 

“Woven in Silk” is the result of numerous trips across the country, capturing everyday scenes within a changing landscape. The photographs reveal the contrast between traditional ways of life and the uncertain future, shaped by economic ambition and filled with promises of prosperity, connectivity and modernity — where Laos is heading, only time will tell.