Art Therapy at Holina

My name is Umporn Jiaranai. I’m the founder and Creative Director of an Art school “Art Issue” which focuses on creative art for children and adults. I have been leading this since 2016 and was based in Bangkok, Thailand, until I moved to the magical island of Koh Phangan.

Since I moved to this island “ART ISSUE” has expanded into a new chapter, having fun with art classes for everyone and anyone who loves and wants to explore themselves through creative art.

Art therapy is an integrative mental health and human services profession that enriches the lives of individuals, families, and communities through active art-making, creative process, applied psychological theory, and human experience within a psychotherapeutic relationship.

People have relied on the arts for communication, self-expression, and healing for thousands of years. But art therapy didn’t start to become a formal program until the 1940s.

We call it ” ART IN PARADISE” Art Therapy

We provide fun, joyful, and unforgettable learning experiences through our art classes.
My passion has always been to open an art school to help children and adults to change their perception of art and to break the general rules of art. I also like for budding artists to take advantage of someone who can help guide them, even with beginner & basic skills.

I use the unique design that I had learned in University mixed with art to show my students how they can use freedom to create art and find their special unique style. It is a beautiful thing watching them discover the joy of art through this form of therapy, especially at Holina.

Art Therapy is something I have learned and found inspiration for from people around the world, whom I have met on my travels. Art Therapy is helpful to support personal and relationship treatment goals as well as community concerns. Art Therapy is used to improve cognitive and sensory-motor functions, foster self-esteem and self-awareness, cultivate emotional resilience, promote insight, enhance social skills, reduce and resolve conflicts and distress, and advance societal and ecological change.

I had a wonderful experience with art since I was a kid and I’ve always loved travelling around the planet and being inspired by other cultures and their form of local culture and art. It all influenced me further. I used to work in the magazine and fashion industry for over 6 years with GQ/Vogue magazine, DONT magazine, HAMBURGER magazine, and PP Group Thailand luxury brand fashion. But now, helping other people find their route towards becoming better versions of themselves, makes me much happier.

I do also work as a senior designer for “Coconuts”, which is Asia’s leading alternative media company, with fresh and juicy news on what’s happening in South East Asia, specifically Bangkok, Manila, Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bali, Yangon, and beyond.

More About Arm

Umporn (nicknamed “Arm) is the founder and Creative Director of “Art Issue” which focuses on creative art for kids and adults since 2016.

Originally from Bangkok, Arm moved to Koh Phangan in 2022 with her goal to continue to provide fun, joyful, and unforgettable learning experiences through this artistic type of therapy.

She uses the unique style that she learnt in university, using art to show our residents how they can use their newfound recovery (from their addictions and traumas) and sense of freedom to create fabulous art encouraging them to discover their unique styles.

Art therapy is an experience she learned through inspiration from other artists she’s met from around the world, as well as drawing upon her university education.

Arm says “We all have something special inside of us but sometimes we feel uncomfortable telling our stories of life.  However, I have used art to get to know people and talk to them by incorporating unified artistic experiences. I use creative techniques such as drawing, painting, collage, colouring, or sculpting to help people express themselves artistically and examine the psychological and emotional undertones in their art.”

Having had her own beautiful experiences with art ever since she was a kid, she set her sights on exploring other cultures and experiencing their art, travelling to collaborate in many cities including Singapore, Seoul South Korea, Japan, Germany, Amsterdam, and Los Angeles to name a few.

She speaks excellent English and is a terrific listener as well as a creator.

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Art Issue Online Social Media Link