The world is slowly taking notice of a growing group of young Lao artists, designers, filmmakers, and photographers in Vientiane capital. And so should we. At the age of 12 in Luang Prabang, Thanavorakit Kounthawatphinyo already knew he was in love with art. But he didn’t know what to do with a couple of rolls of Kodak film and a nice camera at the time. After losing those rolls of film to light exposure, he paused his passion. It wasn’t until he was almost done with high school that the Lao education system forced him to rethink the typical path most youth were supposed to take. Go to a good school. Get a good job. Live a good and successful life. “When I was free from formal schooling, I spent most of my time on the Internet, messing around and looking things up. That’s how I learned a lot of things school didn’t teach me.” Born and raised in a middle-class Vientiane family, Thanavorakit moved back home to pursue his love of photography. After a …