Thai café Middle Fish in Melbourne’s Carlton is celebrating its third birthday by opening a gift store, Hern Shop.
Hern Shop is a collaboration between Middle Fish owners Pla Liamthong and David Holtum, and contemporary Thai artist Torlarp Larpjaroensook, otherwise known as Hern.
“We are big fans of Hern’s artwork and decided when we opened Middle Fish that we would incorporate a few of the lamps and art objects into the interior design,” say Liamthong and Holtum.
“We got a lot of great customer feedback about them – people are always asking where they can purchase them – so we thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great if we could make them available?’ We also thought it would be a nice to support one of our favourite Thai artists.
“It works perfectly for us because we want to send the message out that Middle Fish is not only about food and drinks, but is also a celebration of Thai culture. Also, art and design is central to the ethos of Middle Fish – we design and handmake our own aprons, cushions and tables. It has been an amazing journey and lots of fun for us.”
Hern is based in Chang Mai, Thailand and focuses on creating functional art, often using recycled pieces in his sculptures, paintings and installations.
“I was so happy to return to Melbourne to work with Middle Fish again, as our creative concepts have aligned so well in the past,” says Hern. “It will be great to see people supporting Thai art.”
The store will showcase a collection of eclectic art, lighting and furniture, including Hern’s retro light bulb sculptures ‘Bestto Boys’, and a selection of homemade Thai cooking ingredients.
