Threads of Migration

WanQi Mao

demiwanqi@gmail.com

This project explores the hidden labour networks within maritime migration in Southeast Asia. Focusing on migrant workers from Myanmar and Cambodia working in Thailand’s coastal industries, the work visualises how labour mobility, economic systems, and maritime routes intersect.

Through a practice-based design approach, the piece combines cartographic mapping, stitched lines, and layered translucent materials to represent labour trajectories and spatial movement. The stitched threads trace migration routes across the map, symbolising both the physical journeys and the embodied experiences of workers within maritime labour systems.

Rust-like textures and fragmented visual elements reference industrial environments such as ports, fishing infrastructure, and cargo spaces, where much of this labour takes place but remains largely unseen.

By combining tactile processes with material experimentation, the work reveals the connections between geography, labour, and movement, inviting viewers to reflect on the complex networks that silently sustain regional maritime economies.