Still Feeding the Nation
Artwork image
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Artist statement
“farmers are the backbone of the nation.”
But as I grew older, I began to see a different reality.
I saw some of the hardest-working people becoming some of the most financially vulnerable.
I saw farmers growing food for an entire country while struggling to survive themselves.
And the harder many of them work, the deeper they fall into debt.
The crisis faced by Thai farmers is not simply about a lack of knowledge.
Yes, many still rely on traditional agricultural methods and are unable to adapt quickly to changing economic systems. But the problem is also deeply tied to financial limitations. Many simply do not have the capital required to change, experiment, or recover.
Fertilizer costs, pesticides, fuel prices, land rent, climate change, and even global conflicts affecting oil and agricultural supply chains have all become additional burdens placed upon them.
At the same time, agricultural products continue to lose value in the market.
Ironically, the people who profit the most are often not the farmers themselves, but middlemen and larger market systems surrounding them.
Many times, I watch farmers livestreaming online, trying to sell their own produce directly to consumers at prices even cheaper than local markets. Whenever I see this, I try to support them immediately.
Because behind those low prices, I see exhaustion.
I see survival.
The people who nourish society are often the ones left carrying its heaviest weight.
As a result, many younger generations no longer wish to continue farming.
Not because they hate the land, but because they grew up witnessing endless labor, instability, and debt.
Perhaps what is disappearing is not only the profession itself, but an entire way of life — a relationship between humans and the earth that once defined generations.
This series was created from those emotions.
The human body merges with soil, water, roots, flowers, veins, and gold leaf — symbolizing people who dedicate their entire lives to feeding the world, even as they slowly break apart themselves.
Because sometimes, the beauty we consume is built upon the suffering we choose not to see.
Still feeding the nation, even through silent tears.
Drowning beneath the weight no one sees.
Survival becomes a language written through veins and roots.
Some burdens grow quietly inside us.
Even in ruin, life continues to bloom.About the artist
I am Konkanya Thepveerakul, a Thai AI artist and visual storyteller working under the name GoldenChiArt. My work blends surrealism, symbolism, and contemporary AI-generated imagery, creating dreamlike worlds shaped by memory, emotion, and light. Although my subjects range from nature and mythology to everyday life and imaginative narratives, a recurring element throughout my work is the use of luminous gold textures inspired by childhood memories of Thai temples. The delicate shimmer of gold leaf has gradually evolved into a digital visual language that connects my cultural roots with contemporary AI art. In 2026, my artwork was selected as one of the 12 shortlisted pieces for Canvas of the Future at the AI for Good Global Summit in Geneva, where it was exhibited along Quai Wilson. I was also featured as an Artist Spotlight. These experiences reinforced my belief that deeply personal cultural memories can resonate with audiences far beyond their place of origin. Rather than recreating tradition, I seek to transform it into new visual experiences—where heritage, imagination, and artificial intelligence coexist.
Related works
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