ORGANIKA HOUSE recently unveiled the 20-million baht luxury café and flagship store, ORGANIKA RIVIERE that entices sophisticated lifestyle enthusiasts with an array of sensational scents and exclusive lifestyle experiences at Siam Takashimaya in ICONSIAM.

Revered for the use of premium organic ingredients carefully sourced and finely selected from every corner of the world in their spa and aromatherapy products, ORGANIKA has become leading luxury spa and aromatherapy brand from Thailand that attracts a large high-end clientele, both local and international, who seek for natural remedies for their health, beauty and wellbeing. ORGANIKA is also a spa and aromatherapy brand highly recognized among local and international hotel brands.

After the launch of the brand’s first premium spa, café and flagship store in Piman 49 complex on Sukhumvit soi 49 and expansion to 4 branches in Siam Paragon (Level 1 and G), The Emporium (Level 4) and King Power at Suvarnabhumi International Airport, ORGANIKA also has presence in the spa at Taipei Marriott Hotel, paving ways to become the leader in spa and aromatherapy products and service providers. Most recently, ORGANIKA took on a new venture with a big surprise for those passionate about premium healthy food and luxurious scents, the 20-million baht ORGANIKA RIVIERE, which is a luxury café and the brand’s second flagship store in Thailand at Siam Takashimaya of ICONSIAM.

Sririta Jensen, Managing Director of ORGANIKA HOUSE, revealed that, “Spa and aromatherapy is a fast-growing business in the global market, especially in Thailand whose market value is 7,000 million baht, prompting ORGANIKA HOUSE to actively expand its business both in Thailand and overseas. This year will be a year that we expect a lot of changes and exponential growth. We will focus on more branches outside of shopping malls. These branches must be unique and express our brand’s identity and DNA to become our specialty and interesting flagship stores. This year we started with ORGANIKA RIVIERE at Siam Takashimaya in ICONSIAM that is a flagship store that distinguishes itself with uniqueness and characters – from the decoration, design, signature menus and scents exclusively created for this branch. We believe that these special features and unique characters will attract and impress patrons both from Thailand and other countries, especially those that enjoy Japanese-style lifestyle,” the brand’s executive said.

ORGANIKA RIVIERE is located on Level M, close to BTS connection at Siam Takashimaya in ICONSIAM. Spanning 77 square meters, 70% of the space is a café zone while the rest of 30% is dedicated to spa and aromatherapy retail. The décor is designed under the concept “Water of Scents”, inspired by water that is the source of fragrance and an element related to aromatherapy such as scented water, perfume, fragrance mix and so forth. Water is also the source of life for plants and trees and it symbolizes the living force for ORGANIKA HOUSE that successfully and beautifully nurtures the brand. The color green is hence used as the main palette to represent lush vegetation and natural streams, accented by luminous scented candles and mesmerizing lighting.

Besides being the only ORGANIKA HOUSE’s flagship store in green, ORGANIKA RIVIERE is also flavored with Japanese flair. The café’s signature menus, including the sweets and desserts, have green tea and even Japanese purple sweet potato as ingredients. The menu, available at this brand only, is also written in Japanese to offer authentic Japanese vibe.

As for the spa and aromatherapy products, those with passion in Japanese-inspired scents will enjoy ORGANIKA HOUSE’s latest exclusive collection, available only at this store. Highlight includes “Hill of Green Tea” scent that incorporates green tea with the aroma of oak moss and sweet basil to yield delicate scent that balances and soothes the mind from the busy lifestyle that also makes for an attractive home decorative item.

The collection also includes Pure Aroma Massage Candle, scented candle made from natural soy beans and other natural ingredient, which is rich in vitamin E, shea butter, magnolia extract and organic jojoba that deeply nourish the skin. The collection comes in relaxing white glass containers, which is ORGANIKA HOUSE’s new design.

Aromatic Ambiance Oil Mist is concocted from natural essential oil with no alcohol content, making it harmless to the health. Aromatic Scent Stone, made by hand by craftsmen in Chiang Mai, is baked to give delicate scent and helps create pleasant mood and eliminate unpleasant odor. The collection also includes Aromatic Diffuser that can create fragrant atmosphere anywhere. New and noted is the launch of the Diffuser that can play music via Bluetooth and changes lights to fit the mood, entice the 3 senses of smell, sound and sight. “Hill of Green Tea” collection, which is available at ORGANIKA RIVIERE, is sure to impress regular fans as well as attract tourists from Asia and Europe.

The brand’s big plan for 209 does not stop at the launch of ORGANIKA RIVIERE. The executive enthused that the brand has so many surprises in store for the fans throughout the year. “Throughout 2019 we have series of marketing and promotion plans to create brand awareness and instill brand image in the market. We will focus on Experience Marketing in every aspect of our service to better serve our customers, while at the same time give back to the society with social responsibility activities. We expect to make 200 million baht in sale this year from 6 business units: café, spa, home spa and aromatherapy, yoga, international and partnership marketing. Very soon, we will have another surprise with a new flagship store that will be even more iconic, with a touch of sanctuary and wellness elements,” Sririta explained about the business year plan for ORGANIKA HOUSE.

ORGANIKA HOUSE also aspires to venture in the business with sustainable growth with products and services developed with maximized benefits for the consumers. The brand also looks to create sustainable business partnership rather than boosting profits. So far ORGANIKA HOUSE put immense effort in developing new products from premium organic ingredients, as awarded by Eco Certification. For packaging, ORGANIKA HOUSE only uses recyclable and environmental friendly materials and regularly engages in CSR projects to sustain nature, including tree planting projects to expand forestland in Thailand. The brand also supports community economy by purchasing ingredients directly from the sources. This is to profess ORGANIKA HOUSE’s standpoint as a brand that deeply cares about the community and the environment.

ORGANIKA RIVIERE is now open at Level M, close to BTS connection, of Siam Takashimaya in ICONSIAM, with the official grand opening scheduled for February 26, 2019. Come and bask in the sensational scents, savor the luxurious lush garden by the Chao Phraya River and enjoy premium dishes by ORGANIKA HOUSE. For reservation, please contact 0-2665-1899. For more information, visit www.organikahouse.com.

Currently creating quite a buzz in the Thai art scene, “Up the River During Qingming”, an exhibition of Chinese art and culture currently on show at River City Bangkok (RCB), Asia’s largest center of art and culture exhibitions, marks RCB’s collaboration with the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong), which is home of the world’s largest historical Chinese artifacts. The exhibition brings together a priceless collection of painted scrolls and historical artifacts dating to the Qing Dynasty for an interactive, multimedia presentation for the first time in Southeast Asia. The exhibition runs at River City Bangkok’s second-floor RCB Galleria.

One of the viewers was Assoc Prof Piyasaeng Chantarawongpaisarn, a lecturer in art theory at the Faculty of Painting, Sculpture and Graphic Arts, Silpakorn University. Piyasaeng specializes in East art history. After viewing the exhibition “Up the River During Qingming”, Ajarn Piyasaeng said that the exhibition is one of the most interesting that Thais should spare time to come and view. The works on display are important artworks of China and worth checking out without the need to visit the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong) in Taiwan. The exhibition offers an immersive art exhibition thanks to the use of multimedia technology.

“We have heard of digital museums to some extent. In the West, multimedia is commonly used in art exhibitions, but not so in Asia. When it comes to Chinese art, there has never been a multimedia exhibition like this one before. With River City Bangkok and the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong) showcasing important artworks, Thai people will benefit from viewing the exhibition. Most importantly, they don’t need to fly to Taiwan,” said Assoc Prof Piyasaeng.

As an expert in art theory, Assoc Prof Piyasaeng explains that Chinese art has distinct qualities that have been developed and evolved under philosophical principles and reflects  local folklore and belief systems. During the golden age of Chinese art that straddled the Tang and Song Dynasties, Chinese people were attached to Buddhist and Tao philosophies which permeated paintings at the time. These paintings depicted the natural scenery on a grand scale while humans were portrayed as small components to highlight the greatness of nature. According to Taoism, human beings are a small part of the universe. To create  paintings, artists used brushes, ink and paint.

Works on display in “Up the River During Qingming” are renowned, historical artifacts from the Tang, Song, Yuan Ming and Qing Dynasties. The highlight is the painting “Up the River During Qingming” that portrays scenes of prosperity along the banks of the Biàn Hé in Bianjing (present-day Kaifeng),the Northern Song capital. It’s a painted silk scroll that can absorb ink and paint, allowing for the artwork’s durability. The painting features everyday scenes of prosperity in China in the twilight years of the Qing Dynasty including a wedding, an outdoor theatre, a bustling market and a runaway pig.

“The painting “Up the River During Qingming” is the most outstanding artwork of this exhibition and of the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong). I’m beginning to think that this painting is the best work of Chinese art. If you can come to see, you will realize that why it’s such a great artwork. The horizontal painted scroll displays a variety of scenery that unfolds from right to left to present a narrative of its own. The exhibition features an   interactive screen that depicts this painting in full view that makes it easy for viewers to understand what’s going on in it. Furthermore, the exhibition showcases magnificent works of Chinese calligraphy that are masterpieces in their own right. Calligraphy is an art form that has existed alongside Chinese painting throughout China’s history. It’s an art form that’s an expression of the power of lines and emotions of the calligrapher in an abstract way. Therefore, viewers don’t need to understand the meaning of the written words of the artist. They can experience the soul of these lines and of the artist. This exhibition displays two great works of Chinese calligraphy, which is a good thing,” says the expert in Asean art history.

Those who have yet to see the exhibition “Up the River During Qingming” might want to heed the advice of Assoc Prof Piyasaeng. This exhibition is ideal to people of all ages, especially those from the art world and the new generation. It’s one of the exhibitions that all Thais should come to see at least once.

“Firstly, this exhibition is something new for Thais. High school and university students should come to see it. Secondly, this exhibition is the first in Thailand that uses multimedia to create a digital museum that would be familiar to the new generation as they are used to playing digital games. But in this exhibition, they will find the familiar sights in their everyday life that are presented as art, and it’s about classic art and great masterpieces. So, I hope that the new generation will come to see this exhibition and get a better understanding of beauty that’s part of Chinese philosophy. They will be able to see Chinese art up close. Most importantly, the exhibition offers an interactive art experience that is fun and exciting. I would say that this exhibition is suitable to every age group, but youngsters rather than adults will have more fun viewing the exhibition. If you want to see the real paintings at the National Palace Museum (Gu Gong), you won’t be able see the paintings up close. At NPM, there are no captions in Thai aside from the Chinese and English captions. In this exhibition, it feels like the National Palace Museum has been moved to River City Bangkok. The exhibition is presented in a way that makes it easy to understand. If you miss this exhibition, you’ll have to fly to Taiwan. So, I would say if you don’t come to see, you’ll be sorry,” says Assoc Prof Piyasaeng.

The exhibition “Up the River During Qingming” is on view at River City Bangkok’s second-floor RCB Galleria. Tickets at Bt350 (for adults) are available from www.thaiticketmajors.com . Children, students and family groups are subject to special ticket prices. For more information, call (+66) 2 237 0077-8 or visit www.rivercitybangkok.com .