1 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong Experimenting with drawing allows me to explore a few techniques. Although I frequently use the traditional method (pencil and paper) to focus on shading, I occasionally attempt to use a white chalk on an A4 black paper to see an interesting outcome. Whilst drawing, I was able to come up with a consistent theme so that all of them would share a connection. The theme I chose for my drawing is based on the story ‘Alice in Wonderland’ since there are many different elements and inspiration which can be gathered. Because I immensely enjoyed working with colored backdrops, I decided to draw mushrooms with white ink on red paper. I originally chose gold ink for the work, but it was difficult to see thus I resolved to use the white color.
Experimental drawings, mixed-media on paper, 2021.
2 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
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In this work, I decided to integrate some parts of my childhood. At that time, I absolutely adored vintage dolls. Consequently, I used mixed media for this piece as a texture experiment by combining sand with acrylic for the fur and watercolor for the background. By incorporating elements of my childhood years, I was able to obtain the nostalgic effect in this art piece.
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Observational painting, Mixed-media and acrylic paint on paper, A3, 2020.
3 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
For this piece, I wanted to represent the theme of ‘animal cruelty’, such as that in circuses. As a result, I named this piece ‘freak show’ which depicted an impaled horse and contrasted its blood with pastel colors of the carousel. I used acrylic paint on paper and created black strokes as a background to symbolize death. Freak show, acrylic paint on paper, A4, 2020.
4 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
This painting, in my opinion, has the least connection to the theme of animal cruelty. I wanted to create something with a deeper meaning such as the concept of life and death, but this painting emits liveliness. Nevertheless, it still belongs to the circus theme. I wanted it to look as lively as possible while creating the mood that would make the audience be in awe of how soothing it could make them feel. I used acrylic which is my favorite media in this piece as I like the way it can be used to bring up brighter colors.
5 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
In addition, I wanted it to completely contrast with the other side so I decided to play around with the background. My main focus here was to create as much contrast as possible. The blue color of the masks can easily be interpreted as ‘depression’ or ‘sadness’.
6 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
Circus, acrylic paint on canvas, 20 x 20 cm. each, 2021.
These two paintings are meant to be connected. I want to show that even if the works juxtapose each other meaning-wise, it can still share a connection.
7 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
This artwork represents ‘animal cruelty’ since it is one of the criteria of my theme. I think it is a critical topic and people should be more aware of it, though many of us seem to disregard it. I wanted to vary the color schemes: red, pink, brown and white. In my opinion, pink represents sweetness and white represents purity. However, red enhances a sense of violence of the piece as I was heavily influenced by my choice of artists. I feel attracted to the conflict that the artwork has made: The sense of irony makes the artwork more interesting despite a straightforward idea. Usually, I am attracted to art pieces with ‘violence’ or other dark themes because they give more a realistic element within the context of our world. It makes me realise that nothing is perfect and that some events may turn out differently from the original expectations. Essentially, I want my viewer to understand that the world can be cruel sometimes. Thus, I showcase that idea into my art to educate others on important issues around the world. For this piece, I used clay and a red marble for the eyes. By using a lot of water, I was able to smooth out the rough edges while sculpting the piece.
8 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
Watercolor on watercolor paper and digital editing, 2021.
When I was younger, I remember being obsessed with both the book and movie, ‘Alice in Wonderland’. Therefore, I want to use the memory during my childhood years as inspiration. Initially, I did not know the category of my art work which prompted me to conduct research. Then, I came across the works of Mark Ryden who is an American Painter. Because of this, I later discovered that I was fascinated by the concept of surrealism. However, I wanted to go beyond that by making my work simultaneously realistic and unrealistic. This is partially the reason why I find dark themes intriguing and want to depict that in my work. Using bright and colorful shades, I contrast them with images in the artwork. The piece here is an interpretation of a tarot card, ‘two swords’. I find this concept fascinating since I could change any elements in the original piece and make it my own version whilst keeping the meaning.
9 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
Below is a rough sketch with watercolor. I want to convey a message through my art in the most spontaneous and strangest way possible as it may give rise to a new perspective and inspire my other artworks as well. Even though this picture looks completely innocent, the frog is actually holding a bag of human bodies. Once again, my intention is to highlight as much contrast as possible as I find the coexistence of contradictions captivating, similar to the concept of ‘creepy and cute’, for instance.
10 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
Watercolour on paper and digital editing, 2021.
My inspiration for this ‘brainstorm’ was from the tarot card, ‘The Fool’. At first, I drew these pictures individually, and then I later pieced them together digitally. This is a new experience for me since I previously have never done it. This could certainly be used as one of my exhibition pieces.
11 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
Paper cut out, color pencil and digital editing, 2021.
This piece also represents animal cruelty as I want to show a new perspective of when humans and animals switch positions. I experimented with layered paper cut art and color pencil. Even though the process was tedious, I still enjoy the work and the outcome.
Paper cut out, layers, A4, 2021.
Paper cut out - Illustration
12 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong For this layered paper artwork, I gained a lot of inspiration from Lucas Cranach the Elder. Although his work is extremely old, I am still attracted to his art as I feel like there is a story to every one of his paintings. Since I have already done a lot of paintings in the past, I wanted to experiment with a technique that I have not done before. This was why I decided to choose the paper-layered art style. I feel like it is very interesting to look at since it looks almost like a fairytale story book. However, I also added some dark themes into the work by taking inspiration from the fairytale, ‘Hansel and Gretel’ with a little bit of a twist. I did not use any colors since I wanted the work to look as paper-like as possible. Moreover, a different perspective can be obtained by shining light underneath the work. Since there are layers, the tree shadows can also be seen clearly in the back.
Acrylic paint, Plaster cast, Newspaper, A3, 2021.
Mixed media - Frame picture
As I enjoyed sculpting, I decided to incorporate it into my next exhibition piece. In addition, I also think it is a practical way for me to explore this media more as well. Instead of using the same materials, however, I made a few adjustments to challenge myself. While working on my rabbit sculpture using clay at that time, I remember having to use a lot of water since it was very difficult to create a smooth texture. This is why I selected newspaper and band aids for this one. In this piece, I used liquid glue and mixed it with the newspaper and band aid to form a grotesque shape. As I waited for it to dry, I realised that the texture was becoming more and more difficult to work with. At first I thought it would break as it would not adhere to the frame. To my surprise, it stuck onto the frame perfectly in the end. It was also my first time using this media so I was unsure about many things. I decided to choose a pink background since the first thing that came to my mind when I thought of flowers was delicacy and softness; the light pink would represent tenderness and charm. I wanted to accentuate the flowers in this piece as it would be the main focus. I also thought that using cooler tones would complement the pink background, so I opted for the cool shades and tones. Personally, I genuinely like the pastel hues in this piece as I think it would be fun to experiment. Since I also use a lot of pastel colors in my other works, I did not find this part challenging.
13 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong
14 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong After I was satisfied with my flower painting and its outcome, I took out the painting inside of the frame. I remembered accidentally flipping over the frame and discovered that the back of it made a really interesting pattern, as it looked like marble stones or waves. So, with this in mind, I came up with a new idea: it would be intriguing to make another artwork using the same frame, similar to the idea of gaining a new perspective from the same event. Since I noticed that the patterns looked similar to those of waves, my mind suddenly thought of the Japanese style art. Waves are very common in many traditional Japanese arts. I made a decision then that I would paint koi fish swimming. However, instead of swimming in the blue ocean, they will be among waves of blood. As I looked at the Japanese artworks, I felt that they exuded calming and otherworldly effects. Because of this, I decided to use the infamous painting, ‘The Great Wave of Kanagawa’, a print by Hokusai, as inspiration for this piece. I carefully scrutinised the details of the waves and tried to mimic the style while also incorporating my own style. Instead of simply leaving the koi fish with the red background from the newspaper and band aid, I added extra grey waves since I thought the painting gave off more red hues than I originally expected. I painted the waves and fish onto a piece of plastic folder that I cut so that it would fit the frame. In addition, I also thought that adding some cherry blossom petals would also enhance the painting. I noticed that the Japanese style paintings often have angular elements so once I was done painting, I used a black marker to outline the work to create a sharper definition.
Acrylic paint, Plastic sheet, A3, 2021.
Mixed media - Layers painting
15 | Apiyada Prasitdamrong I began noticing that many artists like Mark Ryden and Nicoletta Ceccoli often incorporate food, specifically meat, into their artworks. Therefore, I thought that it would be an interesting idea since I had never drawn meat before. Once finished, I am very satisfied with the result as it creates an unsettling feeling to the artwork. Personally, I find the patterns of meat to be almost marble-like, which can have a calming effect once I look at it. Yet, I also feel like there is a strange effect which evokes mystery. I want my work to evoke contrasting feelings which create a sense of enigma toward the audience. I also tried limiting the color scheme by keeping it in the red and white tones. Even though very few colors are present, the main purpose is to induce the same contradictory feeling to others.
Meat painting, Acrylic on canvas, 60 x 80 cm., 2021.