When Himmapan Marshmallow -- illustrations of Thai mythical creatures -- went viral, artist Komkrit Tepthian became attracted to the simple yet cute designs. The endearing drawings inspired Komkrit to create five miniatures named Nak Pod (a naga), Nak Punk (a different naga), Mae Hera (a crocodile head with a naga body), Mom (a monkey with four-legs mixed and some lizard features) and Ta Singha (a lion). The appealing creations were produced in his workshop, Motmo Studio, and became popular among shoppers.
"Appealing fan art on social media sparked me to create artwork. As a sculptor, I prefer tangible work, so I designed the mythical creatures in the form of sculptures. The idea came suddenly at night, so I told my wife to go to bed without me since I wanted to work on it. I decided to create five miniatures for a set. When I was young, I liked the Japanese action superhero TV programme Super Sentai, which had five members wearing different coloured costumes. As a result, each of my miniatures has a different character and colour," said Komkrit.
Simple designed sculptures of Thai mythical creatures can be seen at temples in the northern and the northeastern regions of Thailand. In Thai literature, the mystical creatures live in Himmapan, which is a magical forest.
"According to my research, the top of Mount Kailash in Himmapan Forest is a place for angels. The creatures are responsible for guarding the kingdom. Pavilions, vihara and temples are sacred areas similar to Mount Kailash, so Thai architects build mystical creatures to guard the stairs of these religious structures," explained Komkrit. The sculptures of Himmapan creatures created by local artists are admired for their designs which are different from the traditionally intricate designs of court artists.
Making a model at Motmo Studio. (Photos: facebook.com/MotmoStudio)
"Even without elaborate design, the value of sculptures created by local artists is no less than that of court artists. Local artists have been overlooked and criticised that their statues are not exquisite like that of court artists. The 100-year-old sculptures of local artists were neglected and unappreciated until recently when the Fine Arts Department started working on preservation. Local artists created unique sculptures but some people described their work as 'naïve art', referring to their lack of knowledge and sophistication, however, I disagree with them. Their works express local wisdom and spirit. If they did not have the knowledge, they could not sculpt any statue," he said.
Komkrit is an artist, a special lecturer at King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang and the owner of Motmo Studio. The 35-year-old gained recognition after he installed a gachapon or vending machine next to his sculpture, Giant Twins, at Wat Arun Ratchawararam for the Bangkok Art Biennale in 2018. Giant Twins was a combination of two figures -- a Thai giant and a Chinese warrior. The vending machine dispensed eight figurines of Wat Arun's guardian statues in capsules which caused a long line at the temple. The popularity of the gachapon gave Komkrit experiences on how to create commercial art for the first time.
From left, Ta Singha, Nak Punk, Mom, Mae Hera and Nak Pod.
"I am currently working with a gallery in Singapore and discovered that the number of people who come to view my works is small. Art collectors are people from the middle class and above. Gachapon is an interesting case for me. I did not expect to receive this much attention. It made me understand that art does not have to be expensive. I believe deep down that Thais want to own something related to our culture. I also believe that 80% of artists want the general population to understand their work, but there is a gap between them," he said.
With his interest in local characters, Komkrit participated in a seminar about local characters over the past few months where he learned about marketing strategies about how to create community mascots like in Japan. Kumamon, which is an endearing black bear with red cheeks, is one of the most successful local mascots in Japan. According to Kyodo, sales of products related to images of Kumamon which was launched by the government of Kumamoto Prefecture reached US$1.4 billion (42.6 billion baht) in 2019. The Kumamon mascot strategy states that its images can be used royalty-free by domestic companies but there is a fee for its use by overseas companies. Komkrit believes that Thai people can adapt the Japanese mascot strategy and make it successful locally.
"Tourists who visit Japan collect cards, stickers and other products related to mascots. In Japan, there are local mascots in every prefecture. Thai people should change their viewpoint towards mascots. They shouldn't think they are cartoons and a waste of time. Local characters are a part of cultural imperialism. For example, when K-pop artists launch merchandise, their fans immediately purchase it. Japanese characters have also been marketed in Thailand in the animation and gaming industry for many years but there are no Thai characters in the market," he said.
"We have to make a local character work and if we can make people understand the value of a mascot, then local people will take care of their mascot. In Japan, people who wear a mascot must be trained on how to behave in certain ways which match the character of the mascot. For example, they cannot let children see the mascot smoke," he added.
Special edition of Himmapan Marshmallow for Chinese New Year. (Photo: facebook.com/MotmoStudio)
The artist intends to create a new series of Himmapan Marshmallow and is hoping that the popularity of Thai characters will grow.
"During Chinese New Year, I created a special edition of Himmapan Marshmallow for the occasion. I believe these characters can reach greater heights. In order to come up with new designs, I plan to visit temples that have Himmapan creature sculptures. I have already made some phone calls to discuss the idea with the monks. I would like to travel there because I want to talk with locals and experience something different from the photos you see on social media. I hope that Thai creators will create more characters and that they do not think of it as a competition. If we have many Thai characters, companies may want to use them for commercials instead of international characters. As a result, income will go to Thai artists and circulate in our country," said Komkrit.
