A STICKY SOLUTION

Art conservator Kwanjit Lertsiri has revitalised traditional tamarind seed glue as a safer alternative for conservation work

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Having worked as an art conservator for 30 years, Kwanjit Lertsiri knows that chemicals used in the industry since the 1950s are harmful and can damage murals.

To her, using traditional techniques, like tamarind seed glue, is less harmful and causes less damage, however, people today have no interest in using it because it takes a long time to produce due to numerous steps in the production process.

"I work in the conservation of mural art and have noticed that tamarind seed glue is not used as much as before. I discovered the reason for this is because it is difficult to prepare and some conservators do not believe it is of good quality. I decided to study the properties and structure of tamarind seed glue to find out why painters in the past used it," said Kwanjit.

"Recently, an international journal published that chemicals involved in mural restoration are health hazards, but we still use them. Additionally, chemical damage has been seen in Thai murals created using tempera paint that displays soft-coloured tones. When chemical glue is used in art restoration, most paintings give off a glossy and plasticky look, which leads to a loss of identity of Thai paintings. More importantly, the chemicals we use are dangerous to workers who are exposed in a closed building. Many of my co-workers have died prematurely."