The art of aquascaping

Intricate underwater designs take centre stage at Seacon Square

- SUWITCHA CHAIYONG

Drawn by the beauty of underwater nature, many people have been enjoying the Thailand Aquascaping Art Fair. Organised by MMAD MunMun Art Destination, the TAAF as it is known has been taking place for the past three years and offers a cash prize of over 100,000 baht. The competition is divided into two categories aquascapes decorated with contestants' own materials; and those created with materials in a blind box provided by the organiser.

As an aquascaping hobbyist, Naris Wuthisakont, special project manager at MMAD MunMun Art Destination, explained that it refers to an aquarium that simulates underwater scenery and scales down the real aquatic world into a miniature representation.

Wichian Janjira, an aquascaper as well as judge at TAAF 2025, explained that aquascaping requires high craftsmanship compared to other hobbies, especially in global competitions.

"To create aquascaping worthy of entering a global competition, participants need to be patient, meticulous and have basic knowledge of the ecosystem, aquatic creatures and underwater plants," he said.

TAAF was established in 2023 because the MMAD team wanted to showcase all types of art-related activities.

"MMAD is a space for art and we don't want to limit art to only paintings on canvas. Art should be anything that is about craftsmanship, skills and creativity. Aquascaping is my hobby also, so I want to support aquascape artists. Aquascaping is not merely a hobby, as many Thai aquascapers have become professionals by participating in global competitions. This is the right time to organise this kind of event," said Naris.

TAAF 2025 has many events including showcases and workshops from world champion Herry Rasio from Indonesia and Thailand's leading aquascape artists. The main highlight is the competition which is divided into two categories.