The exhibition "Sundae Kids: 10 Years of Lost And Found" was created to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the artist duo Pratchaya "Poysian" Mahapauraya and Kavin Thienvutichai.
At the exhibition, visitors are encouraged to reflect on their past while considering questions like: "If you could travel back to the past, which moment would you like to go back to? And what is something you wish you had done differently?"
Known for their unique comic strip, Sundae Kids captivated audiences worldwide with clean, visually appealing illustrations and insightful and heart-warming stories about love and relationships. As the content is in English, Sundae Kids has reached a wide audience and gained over 2 million followers on social media.
Big Dream Boy.
"Over the past 10 years of working together, we have experienced a lot of new things, but also lost some things along the way," Pratchaya said. "When we lose something, we gain something. We learn something new or perhaps we rediscover ourselves. We might even find something new from that loss. If others look back on their past, they might find similar experiences to ours."
Kavin, who is the art director, explained that the lost and found theme was developed after Pratchaya posed the reflective question: "If you could go back in time, would you change anything?" That question stayed in his mind and reminded him of an interview they once had with a reporter.
Kavin explained: "In that interview, I told the reporter that 10 years ago, I promised Pratchaya that I would help her establish Sundae Kids. However, after graduating from university, I initially pursued a career working at a design company and left her to struggle with running the page. Eventually, I decided to quit my job and dedicated myself to helping her.
"When I was asked about my dream for the next decade, I replied that Sundae Kids was not my dream. I wanted to create contemporary art or have my own graphic studio. I have supported Pratchaya for so long, to the point of losing sight of my own aspirations. However, I still want to see her grow as far as she can. The reporter asked me if I could turn back time, what would I do. My answer was I would not change anything. I would still choose to support her, just as I had done."
Life is filled with crossroads that can lead us down different paths. To symbolise this, the exhibition features two doors to represent the choices we encounter. Before passing through these doors, visitors are invited to select one of two cards with the following messages: "Have you become the person you want to be?" or "People grow, people change and some people are lost along the way".
Visitors are invited to select one of two cards.
Walking down each path may bring back memories of past choices. Some choices may bring happiness while others may lead to regret, but the past is the past. Everyone must move forward and embrace who they are today.
Sundae Kids launched in 2014, during their fourth year at the Faculty of Fine and Applied Arts, Chulalongkorn University. The idea for creating Sundae Kids started when Pratchaya was an intern at an agency and realised that she was not comfortable working on various tasks. Instead, she preferred focusing on her own illustrations. Because of this, Kavin encouraged her to establish Sundae Kids. It took almost two years of effort before Sundae Kids started to gain recognition and attract clients who wanted them to design products.
"When we had no clients during the first year, we thought we might not be doing enough. We wanted to give it our all and believed that it was possible for the page to be a success. If we got to the point where we couldn't make ends meet, we would give up the page and find regular jobs," said Pratchaya.
Kavin Thienvutichai.
The pair started by creating editorial illustrations. After that, Sundae Kids proved their ability to incorporate cute and artistic designs into a wide range of products including cards, scarves, phone cases, snack packaging, clothes and cameras.
Since Sundae Kids is in English, it appeals to audiences in many countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong, the Philippines, USA, Mexico and Italy. However, there were only a limited number of Japanese followers, but that changed when they began creating comics in Japanese for Ginza magazine a few years ago.
"We have more fans from Asia than other regions. Fans in Asia can relate to our content because we share similar cultural values. Asian people tend to be more reserved compared to Westerners, who are more straightforward in their self-expression," said Pratchaya.
Pratchaya ‘Poysian’ Mahapauraya.
"We gained more Japanese followers after our comics were published in Ginza. When we held our first solo exhibition, 'Sundae Kids Achieve' in Tokyo in 2023, we were surprised to meet so many Japanese visitors."
After Kavin supported Pratchaya's dream for a decade, it was finally his turn to pursue his own dream, and Pratchaya in turn supported him. Kavin has always dreamed of living and working abroad. After an application for an O-1 visa for people with extraordinary abilities in the arts and other fields in the US was granted, his dream came true. Today, the pair fly back and forth between New York and Bangkok since they still have clients in Thailand. As new residents, they are both excited about their life in the Big Apple.
"We have been in Bangkok over 30 years, so we prefer staying home rather than going out. However, we are excited about everything in New York. Living there reignites our sense of excitement and refreshes us in a way we haven't felt in years," said Pratchaya.
A wide variety of artwork is on display at "Sundae Kids: 10 Years Of Lost And Found", including comic strips, graphic novels, acrylic paintings, fibreglass and resin sculptures. Among the many art pieces, the massive fibreglass sculptures Big Dream Boy and Big Dream Girl stand out as highlights. Pratchaya explained that the boy sculpture represents Kavin while the girl sculpture symbolises herself. Their immense size reflects the way they support each other's growth.
Because of their loving support for each other, their comics often provide heart-warming content that followers appreciate and can connect to.
"Many followers shared that they used our comics to impress their girlfriends or boyfriends and many ended up getting married. They thanked us for comics that helped them deepen their relationships. We are thrilled to be a part of their lives. We simply share moments we enjoyed without any expectations. Receiving positive feedback has been an incredible bonus," said Pratchaya.
When asked about the secret of Sundae Kids' success, the duo shared that they believe their achievements come from collaboration. They also emphasised that they could not have come this far without each other. For aspiring illustrators, their advice is to be totally dedicated to their work.
"It will be tough at the beginning, but if you truly want to make your dream come true, you must dedicate yourself to it. Focus on creating the best work you can and constantly try to improve the quality. When you look back, you won't regret not giving it your all."
"Sundae Kids: 10 Years Of Lost And Found" runs at River City Bangkok, RCB Galleria 1, until Jan 26. Tickets cost 100 baht (180 baht per pair) and can be purchased from linktr.ee/10yearsoflostandfound.
