The art exhibition "To The Moon And (Never) Back" showcases paintings by nine artists -- Art of Hongtae, Art Jeeno, Chubbynida, Munins, Peachful, toddyinthemood, Tum Ulit, UnderHatDaddy and Viput A -- and is attracting many young visitors since they can relate to the exhibition's theme.
"I love you to the Moon and back" is a phrase often used by lovers to express strong and enduring love. Thus, the context of the exhibition "To The Moon And (Never) Back" can be interpreted in two distinct ways. The first meaning is limitless passion and love that surpasses the distance between the Earth and the Moon. The second meaning is completely different and signifies that a person is unable to continue loving the other person.
Each artist approached the theme of "To The Moon And (Never) Back" from their own perspective, resulting in diverse interpretations. Life spoke with three artists -- Piyaphach Jeeno, (aka Art Jeeno), Patchanapohn Wimonsarawong, (aka Peachful) and Viput Asawavetvutt, (aka Viput A), about their inspiration and artistic creations.
Piyaphach Jeeno, also known as Art Jeeno. (Photos courtesy of River City Bangkok)
Piyaphach Jeeno
Piyaphach is an acclaimed manga artist who won at the 8th and 14th Japan International Manga Awards for Juice#1 and Juice#3. Juice #1, Juice #2 and Juice #3 were translated into French.
Piyaphach's paintings for "To The Moon And (Never) Back" were inspired by his feelings as a fan of the Japanese girl group Sakurazaka46. He compared the group's singers to the Moon which he perceived as being distant to a fan like him. Although he was in Tokyo to see their performances twice, he still felt unable to get close to them.
Moon Flower by Art Jeeno. (Photo: River City Bangkok)
Piyaphach created a collection titled "Photo Set" which consists of three paintings -- At Hand, Moon Flower and The Other Side. These paintings express his imagination of how to possess the Moon. At Hand depicts a water reflection of a girl whose hand reaches for the Moon. Moon Flower portrays the Moon in a picture frame, and The Other Side displays an image of a boy holding the Moon in a box.
"The Other Side is surrealistic since a boy can carry the Moon in a box. This painting is similar to how I feel as a fan of the girl group Sakurazaka46. I realise that they are far away from me, so I collect their images or photos. That's why the collection is titled 'Photo Set'," said Piyaphach.
The Other Side by Art Jeeno. (Photo: River City Bangkok)
Life as a manga artist can be tough. Despite being an award-winning artist, in the past, Piyaphach struggled in his career and considered quitting. Fortunately, his Juice series was selected for publication in France which encouraged him to continue working on his manga. When asked about advice for aspiring manga artists, he immediately responded that it is a tough job.
"Aspiring artists have to figure out the kind of drawing and content they want to create. If they want to create illustrations, they should work on their own creations and post them on social media. I used to post my manga on a website and gained many followers which led a publisher to discover me. I still enjoy publishing my work as comic books. I will soon be launching a new comic book with the publishing company 10MM. Additionally, I have an upcoming collaboration art project with the singer Max Jenmana."
Patchanapohn Wimonsarawong, also known as Peachful. (Photo: River City Bangkok)
Patchanapohn Wimonsarawong
Patchanapohn is the founder of http://facebook.com/peachful.studio. The 26-year-old artist gained a following after exhibiting her exquisite illustrations at the 2022 Bangkok Illustration Fair where she presented her works inspired by fables and fantasy.
At "To The Moon And (Never) Back", Patchanapohn created the collection "Once Upon The Full Moon" which was inspired by Little Red Riding Hood. The young artist explained that as an adult, her perspective of the story differed from when she was young.
Our First Full Moon by Peachful. (Photo: River City Bangkok)
"Once Upon The Full Moon" features three paintings -- Our First Full Moon, Honeymoon With You and At The End Of The Moon which depicts the relationship between a girl, a red bandana tied around her head and a wolf. Our First Full Moon portrays the girl giving a flower to the wolf during their first encounter. Honeymoon With You depicts romantic moments between the girl and the wolf. Meanwhile, At The End Of The Moon symbolises their parting with an image of the wolf howling mournfully at the Moon.
"When I was young, I focused only on people's appearances. But as I grew up, I looked deeper than appearances. I realise that people do not have only black or white characteristics; they are more complex with shades of grey. The wolf can be interpreted in many ways. It can relate to diversity and be either a father or a lover," said Patchanapohn.
Honeymoon With You by Peachful. (Photo: River City Bangkok)
"Next to the painting, dried flowers are attached to the wall. I want to convey that everything is like flowers, which change over time, but dried flowers still remain like enduring memories."
When Patchanapohn established http://facebook.com/peachful.studio, her aim was for the page to be a friend to followers on both their good and bad days. Therefore, she creates images with a variety of emotions that her followers can relate to. Due to her sentimental messages and paintings, viewers appreciate her work.
At The End Of The Moon by Peachful. (Photo: River City Bangkok)
"Before this exhibition, I did not have many followers. Now, many viewers appreciate my concept and paintings. I often receive messages of appreciation from viewers. One viewer thanked me stating that although a painting reminded her of a sad memory, it encouraged her to have a new perspective of her past experience.
"When I discovered that my paintings had an impact on viewers, I felt empowered."
Viput Asawavetvutt with The Invisible Moon, left, and The Collector. (Photo: Jittiwat Jantayanee)
Viput Asawavetvutt
Viput A is a pseudonym of Viput Asawavetvutt who graduated from the School of Architecture and Design at King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi (KMUTT). As an illustrator and designer, Viput has an extensive list of collaborations with many brands including Apple, AP Thailand, Central Embassy and Major Cineplex.
"In Thailand, accessing art is not easy because people perceive art enthusiasts must have certain characteristics. I am willing to create commercial art because I believe that it allows people to easily engage with my designs. My designs can be anything that can be found anywhere, from product bottles and pet food packaging to a billboard advertisement for a real estate company," said Viput.
Despite studying communication design at KMUTT, Viput had limited opportunities to draw. However, he found comfort in creating vibrant illustrations and sharing them on Instagram to spread positive vibes.
A cycle of relationship by Viput A Jittiwat_Jantayanee
"Vibrant colours are tools which help viewers feel refreshed, energised and appeals to their interest even though the content may be stressful or sad," said Viput.
With his unique vibrant illustrations, Viput's artworks stand out. At the "To The Moon And (Never) Back", Viput showcased two acrylic paintings and six illustrations. One acrylic painting, The Invisible Moon, portrays a crescent Moon and a Full Moon overlapping each other.
"I believe in the existence of things we cannot see. Just because we cannot see them does not mean they do not exist. In the daytime, we cannot see the Moon, but after sunset, it appears. This signifies that when the right time comes, what we have been waiting for will appear.
"I wanted to create characters that are different from the usual happy face characters. This exhibition narrates a story of well-rounded characters and a cycle of relationships from being single to falling in love, arguing and parting ways. We learn from each relationship and those experiences shape who we are today. The other acrylic painting, The Collector, represents personal growth. In The Collector, the character carries a multicoloured Moon full of cracked lines."
Viput A's collection stands out with vibrant colours. (Photo: Jittiwat_Jantayanee)
His paintings at the exhibition have received positive feedback from viewers. Viput was surprised when viewers told him that they felt moved by his description that a good relationship will come at the right time.
"Viewers can relate to my work which makes me feel that art can give viewers something to think about or resonate with them in some way. I really felt good about the feedback."
"To The Moon And (Never) Back" runs at River City Bangkok, RCB Photographers' Gallery 1 until Sunday. For more information, visit facebook.com/RiverCityBangkok.
