Kongthong Nanthavongdouangsy is the Co-founder and Head of Technique and Materials Development for Phaeng Mai Gallery, Vientiane, Laos. She was born into a weaving family from Samneua, Houaphanh Province in Northeast Laos. She has a master’s in Linguistics from the University of Philology at Pyatigorsk, Former Soviet Union.

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Her weaving won the UNESCO prize for Outstanding Contribution to the Creativity in Traditional Textiles in 1992 and an award from the Seal of Excellence Asian Pacific Handicraft Development Association in 2006. In 2010, Kongthong was nominated by the Ministry of Information and Culture and Tourism as an outstanding artist for fine art. In 2013, she was nominated ASEAN Master Craftsmen on Textile (ASEAN Secretary Project), Malaysia. In 2014, Asian Living Human Treasurers, ASIA Cooperation Dialogue, Manila, Philippines. In 2015, she received ASEAN Craft Innovation, awarded from SACICT, Bangkok Thailand. In 2016, she was awarded with the Gold Medal by the Government of Lao PDR.