art by COLORLESSCROWD
bkk UNZINE art magazine aims to showcase the talents of artists and to bring creativity and community to audiences around the world.
It’s April Already!
How time flies… This last March saw the announcement of not only our first ever comics magazine, UNZINE Comics, at the Bangkok International Book Fair, but also major news about this year’s upcoming BKK Comics Art Festival, to be held once again in October at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (details here).
We’ve been thrilled to see so many new faces contributing to the magazine and coming to participate at our monthly Mixer event at UNZINE 95. Be sure to drop by our hidden gem of a studio space nestled in Soi Sukhumvit 95. If you’re in Bangkok for the Songkran holiday and are looking for more laid back alternative activities, we’ve got regular hangout events and workshops, so there’s something for everyone!
Thanks again to all the artists who sent their work to grace this issue, with its theme of NSFW (Not Safe For Work).
Next month’s theme is….
Accepting submissions now through April 25th.
This year, we’re announcing all our monthly themes in advance so you’ll have more time to prepare your artwork! Please feel free to submit to any of our themes in advance!
featured artist
BLUE NIPPLES
by COLORLESSCROWD
oil pastels on paper
WHEN I'M LOST IN YOU No.5 -
The moment of truth in your lies,
I know that you feel me somehow,
And all I can taste is the moment.
Strangely, I found myself wanting you to touch me, right here.
The technique for this piece involves applying oil pastels, blending with cotton buds and body lotion.
Illustrator, Mixed Media Artist, Painter
Colorlesscrowd is a self-taught artist who channels raw emotions into crowd colors and expressions with textures by using oil pastels.
“In these moments, when I could see an image so clearly, down to every detail, I call them a collection of my frozen moments.“
LUST
by SKARNZ
ink on paper
Flowers mostly to refer to women. I personally think women are like flowers, too. But flowers can be very complicated, flexible, rousing, provoking, inspirational, violent, sweet, impassioned, lustful, and deceptive at the same time.
Designer, Sculptor, Painter
A lover of design, drawing, photography and toys, Skarnz is an artist from Thailand who is self-taught in drawing, sculpting, and painting and expresses love of art through toys, under the SKARNZ brand.
MORNING DARLING
by ORNY
digital painting
This original character is Charles Hansson, masterpiece of his beloved bride… A “good morning” greeting for him.
Sketch Artist, Illustrator
Orny studied at Domus Academy and the Fine Arts department at CMU.
COSPLAYER DRAWINGS
by NUTKO
Clip Studio Paint, Photoshop, Procreate
I drew these a long time ago. I like beautiful women who dress up in cosplay. It's fun to draw people like cartoons, in the way I like.
Digital Artist, Graphic Designer, Illustrator
If you believe that drawing is relaxing, then we are friends!
INSIDE THE RABBIT HOLE
by KITIYA WITHAYAPRAPHAT
handmade zine with pop-ups
The life of sex workers is quite mysterious for me since I was a child because my parents and older people tried not to talk about it. So, I thought that sex workers were bad people although there are many places around my district (Chinatown) that related to sex workers, such as temples built by prostitutes but no one told me about that.
One day I met a women who was a sex worker and her stories became my inspiration to investigate more about the world of prostitutes and I went down the rabbit hole. It’s quite complicated and related to many topics in society, such as human trafficking.
In this zine I told about my experience to find the hidden voices of sex workers through places I walked past every day and through books that told their own stories.
Zine-Maker, Illustrator
A writer, zine-maker and teacher based in Bangkok, Kitiya has told stories through zines since 2020, organized zine workshops in feminist class, and currently has 5 zines: Detectives with Love, Women on Walls, She(s) on Shelves, When I Fall in French and Return to Granny’s Home.
PLAIN BEAUTY
by PEMA GYELTSHEN
acrylic on canvas
Nude paintings carry diverse meanings depending on their context, transforming mere nudity into deeper symbolism. In some cases, they serve historical, allegorical, or religious purposes, while in others, they function as aesthetic expressions that add artistic depth to home decor.
I have painted some nudes in between my usual subjects and I really enjoy doing it.
Painter
Pema Gyeltshen is a self-taught artist and has been working full-time since 2012. Being self-taught depends solely on one's passion and dedication to art, and there's no specific style or subject matter in particular. Learning on his own, it took several years to at least paint well and make a living; now Pema focuses on the subject matters which are important for Bhutan as a small independent nation, such as its tradition, culture, religion and beautiful landscapes. His works also depict ordinary everyday things in the so-called contemporary style but bearing the true essence of Bhutan.
SEX AND THE CREATIVE PROCESS
by ANGELA PAGANO
handmade zine, paper, old vintage asian magazines, Canva
I decided to connect Bangkok, with sex and thecreative process in a fun and different way, Bangkok can be seen as sin city, a creative hub where ideas are born andtransform. I find the asian metropolis really sensual, mystical, dark and full of mysteries. When I moved to Bangkok I reconnected with my creative side and ideas started to flow. As my favorite director David Lynch says, ideas are like fish, ideas are like babies. Passioante about Yung and Freud, I came up with "Sex and the Creative Process." If sex is a primal urge, then it's art. Energy that transforms. The desire to transcend, to connect. Sex brings creation, and creation is giving birth to something new.
Concept Artist, Mixed Media Artist, Filmmaker
Angela Pagano is an artist from Naples, currently based in Bangkok. Her journey through diverse cultures has shaped her artistic exploration, drawing inspiration from human behavior and the ongoing dialogue between East and West. Movement, transformation, identity, and symbolism are at the core of her work. Angela plays with paper, plaster, glue, acrylics, clay, charcoal, and all kind of objects and tools. Originally working with physical materials, Angela is now shifting her focus toward video and photography, experimenting and deconstructing narratives.
SHOW YOUR WORK IN bkk UNZINE!
next month’s theme is….
Accepting submissions NOW through April 25th