select artwork from past issues of bkk UNZINE art magazine
(2020 - 2024)
We’ve come a long way since the publication of the first issue of bkk UNZINE (pronounced “un-ZEEN,” like “unseen”) in September of 2020, and what an eventful and rewarding journey it has been as we’ve had the honor to showcase truly astounding artwork from the many, many talented artists who’ve submitted to our online art magazine.
Presented here is just a small sampling of work that has graced the pages of bkk UNZINE through the years…
from Issue #03 (Nov 2020)
Based on “Daydreaming” by Radiohead
acrylic and gouache on Arches
This painting is based on Radiohead’s “Daydreaming” music video and their album art. The meaning of the video seems open to interpretation but I saw it as Thom Yorke walking through many doors in search for what is or what was his unattainable solace or home.
from Issue #05 (January 2021)
Save the Planet
Clip Studio Paint
This was an excuse/challenge to draw a mech suit. If there was a subtitle to this image, it would be: “Save the world and when you do, take the time to pat the dog.” I wanted to drive the observer’s eye and if they observe longer they should be able to get the backstory.
from Issue #10 (January 2021)
Civilization
pen & ink, colored in Photoshop
This illustration was for the TV show “Kondeunmeuang,” which means people walking in the city. The episode was about how the government manages trees in Bangkok. This is a problem because it’s not done in a sustainable way, not only in Bangkok but in public spaces in general. The city that neither takes care of the environment nor people’s quality of life could not be called a developed city.
from Issue #15 (November 2021)
Teeth
from Issue #16 (December 2021)
Cider Vinegar Clouds
by YMIR
Procreate
Never-ending cider vinegar in a jar, for those who think it’s indispensable for salad.
from Issue #18 (February 2022)
The Dragon King
by UGYEN DORJI
Photoshop, Cintiq24
My King inspired me to come up with this artwork. It was created during the National Day of Bhutan in 2021. The art is my rendition of how “Dragon King” was crowned.
from Issue #19 (March 2022)
Bangkok 2120
by ERIC OLIVE
Photoshop
Painted during the first lockdown in Bangkok in 2020 as the lights of the Red Light districts were turned off and the walking streets were closed in cities around Thailand.
from Issue #21 (May 2022)
Favorite Comics
by JOCELYN
gouache on Fabriano
Tintin and Snowy are my favorite comic book characters, a cute Belgian boy with stubby nose and a loyal fox terrier who did everything together, shared many adventures, often dangerous and mysterious, and taught us about righteousness and cultural differences and exotic locations. What’s not to love? The Asterix and the lovable Obelix series are so much fun too. These comics are our family staple and we read them over and over again, until the pages are dog-eared and covered with coffee stains.
from Issue #21 (May 2022)
Why is There One Screw Left?
pen & ink
This was an assignment for our Visual Media Studies class, with the task being to create a polyptych comic page, and so we decided to do an infinite loop comic page that follows a confused astronaut as he tries to inspect the spaceship that he and his friend are on.
from Issue #22 (June 2022)
Guardians of the Oasis
Photoshop, Illustrator, Rhinoceros 7
I question how green infrastructures and ecological elements of vegetation take a non-passive role in our world-building, and how can we speculate a dynamic ecological urban environment developing from our current existing landscapes. The structure inspires a new form of the existing world, thinking about what happens if we rethought the growth of current intervention along with the current neighborhood. It brings opportunity to an alternative landscape, extending small actions of people in the community to change the landscape of the larger neighborhoods.
from Issue #22 (June 2022)
Any Place
acrylic on canvas
This painting depicts any evening street scene, anywhere in Bangkok. Any food shop, any soi, any place, just after the heavy rain…
from Issue #23 (July 2022)
Let’s Sea…
by DIMITRI
watercolor & gouache on Arches
This work was largely inspired by a a cover from a French comic book series called Aquablue (by Cailleteau and Vatine).
from Issue #25 (August 2022)
Mae Hong Son “Sun”
by MARC KUEGLE
Canon 750D, Photoshop
A vivid and serene image made up of photos collected through out Pai, Thailand. If you have not been, put it on your list asap.
from Issue #40 (December 2023)
Teach Them Well
pen & ink
This is part of a series of drawings I am doing as a personal project representing ancient Philippines scenes before the colonization arrived in the 1600s.
from Issue #41 (January 2024)
Figure
by ALEX WAGNER
medium not specified
When one is left in conflict with our bodies and mind, our own skin becomes a battlefield.
But where there is suffering there is hope, and if given time we can see ourselves healing as we transform into the person we know ourselves to be.
With this painting I hoped to highlight the experience of struggling with gender dysphoria and growing up in a body at conflict with itself, while still highlighting how my transition has allowed me freedom.
from Issue #45 (May 2024)
Our Shark Friend
by EASYEASYROL
digital painting
Even though I have never tried diving into the sea, I was able to appreciate the wonder of all the marine inhabitants through a game called ABZǓ. In the game, there was a great white shark and it crushed my robotic friend. I thought I would get killed if I got close, but it ended up that the shark and I became friends and traveled around the ocean together. The digital painting celebrates the friendship and the beautiful scenes we saw together.
from Issue #49 (September 2024)
A Product of Myanmar
oil & collage on canvas
Self portrait, a migrant who has left their home to escape difficult circumstances and seek better opportunities.
This selection is a mere glimpse into the collection of diverse artwork bkk UNZINE has had the pleasure to feature in our online magazine. We are forever grateful to all the artists for their contributions.
Currently we are in the process of rebuilding the entire bkk UNZINE library within this new site. Please check back regularly as older issues are being archived.