See Thai Famous Comic Artists’ work come alive through their ‘Blood, Sweat, Tears and Ink’ exhibition
Experience the life of four comic artists through their artistic journeys in the latest exhibition at River City Bangkok.
The exhibition features work by Tripuck Supwattana (PUCK), Aphisit Muennak, Suttichart Sarapaiwanich and Songwit Seakitikul across various mediums, from cards and sculptures to compiled comic book productions by all four artists.
Jirachayanan Pladruen, the curator for this exhibition, was drawn by the allure of comics since childhood from their plots, relatable characters and beautiful visuals by the artists. She has specifically invited comic artists who have always lingered in her memory to bring their works to life for the general public.
Each artist narrates their life under four concepts “Blood, Sweat, Tears and Ink”, told through their lives as comic creators, their journeys of friendship with the comic artist community, the challenges they faced in their careers along the way and the evolution of their artistic styles. The theme also allows comic book fans to reconnect with creations on paper and, at the same time, appreciate the rare opportunity to see these comic artists’ work beyond their usual medium, showcasing their growth.
“Blood”: Aphisit Muennak delves into the symbol of life and the motivation to persevere. The artist recounts his relationship with comics and collaborations with seasoned comic artists he admired. For this specific show, the artist aims to highlight how creating comics is a demanding task, but through the encouragement of those who appreciate his work, becomes a source of motivation and inspiration. The comic series he created dives into the story of fellow comic artist PUCK who he met back in their college days and how PUCK gave him a clear purpose to create meaningful work and the encouragement to embrace his own art identity.
“Sweat”: Songwit Seakitikul vividly depicts the hardship endured by cartoonists, highlighting the exhaustion and challenges to create every panel. His journey began in childhood in an era where entertainment was scarce and cartoons were his sole amusement, which led him to work as a cartoonist at a publishing house. It was different from what he had expected and so inspired him to create cartoons of his own. His current collaboration with fellow renowned cartoonist Suttichart has led to co-writing comic book series and showcasing their work together in this exhibition.
“Tears”: Tripuck Supawattana, also known as PUCK, reflects on his life as a cartoonist over the past 17 years that has shaped his thinking, character creation and storytelling techniques. For this particular show, he highlights the pain and struggles of a cartoonist’s life. He channels this emotion through cartoons based on his lifelong desire to become a comic book writer, chronicling the burden of dreams and hopes as one ventures into a forest to find a hidden flower that symbolizes one’s dream, as well as a vase that symbolizes people making arrangements based on their dreams.
“Ink”: Suttichart Sarapaiwanich captures the essence of joy and pain working as a comic book writer. His inspirations stem from his love of manga and his admiration of the distinctive styles of Japanese manga artists and their meticulously hand-drawn visuals. This led him to create his own comics. For this exhibition, Suttichart was drawn by the decline of print media, causing comics to gradually disappear. So, he created a new comic original using black, red, white and blue hues to mimic the pages of weekly Japanese comics as well as the Thai national flag, which serendipitously aligns with the word “Chart”, meaning ‘nation’, in his name.
The exhibition is open from 8 until 30 June 2024 at RCB Artery, first floor at River City Bangkok.
Photo courtesy of the artist and River City Bangkok
Information provided by River City Bangkok
