[INTERVIEW] HOF OF JUNE 2016 @TUMMENG_INTHIRA
2016-06-14. AM 04:22
[Interview] HOF of June 2016 @TumMeng_Inthira
That characters seems to deliver everything the artist wants to tell.
Making comfortable feel in the drawing is the easiest way to approach to others.
But this character looks more serious than any others.
And it’s a mystery what’s inside of it.
To find out what is inside, PEN.UP team have selected @TumMeng_Inthira as a HOF artist in June 2016.
Then let’s take a close look at this warm and cozy character.
A new member of HOF for June!
@TumMeng_Inthira!
Hi, This is PEN.UP Team.
Congratulations on your initiation into HOF.
First, this is a question directed to every member of HOF.
How do you feel about being a member of HOF?
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
I was very surprised.
Thank you so much that selected me for HOF June 2016.
Q2. @PEN.UP :
Now that you are a member of HOF, would you introduce yourself to PEN.Ple?
PEN.Ple would really want to know about you.
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
Hello everyone, My name Is Inthira, My nickname is Tummeng.
I'm Thai woman who lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
I am a social activist in a non-government organization, which works on public education policy in Thailand.
I'm interested in politic and social life, nature, films, books and art. For me, Art is the tool for reflection my existence ; my thought, my faith and my identity.
Now let’s get down to the theme.
Questions about your works.
The first impression from your works is “they are so cute.”
I have to admit that your characters very much look like you.
What made you create these characters?
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
Honestly it's me.
My character personality is a woman who has always short hair and wear simple clothes : t-shirt, short pant, and looks like so funny, talkative.
So she is me in the parallel space, that's art.
Because this is the journeys in my mind which my experiences, my feelings for someone or something, that all of me is her story.
So my character is her character too.
Unlike the first impression from a glance at the work, it seems to deliver a lot of messages.
As a character, it’s certainly cute, but from the background you can feel the delicate, tranquil mood.
You seem to place some deep meaning on each work.
Is there any reason for that?
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
Yes. I think I'm humanist because I believe in existence and I think about life so much.
So this mindset, it's an effect from my life, my job.
Certainly, it effected my works, that's reflected in her story too.
When I want to say something about daily situations or social phenomena or my opinions, my emotions or cheer up myself I feel it's so much easier when you express via art.
At first, this connection between me and her.
It encouraged me. But after it’s posted, it may effect the others and encouraged someone else too.
How great to know that my works are meaningful not only for me but for the others too.
And that makes me happy and push me up to work hard to create my works.
More questions about your character.
In the early stage your works didn’t have any backgrounds, but recently you’ve posted more works which have more backgrounds and descriptions of actions.
Why?
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
At first, I was a beginner. I just liked to draw.
It was fun. I didn't think about meaning of it.
But because i drew myself I realized the need of learning about art.
I drew a lot until I found out that the art is the tool for being connected with myself, reflect my thought.
After that I started to imagine the illustration that I want to see.
I thought about message that I want to tell.
And then my works got backgrounds and some messages.
It's not cartoons only, it's a story that connected to somebody in diverse meaning.
Q6. @PEN.UP :
Before you used to upload works done directly on canvases, but now you are posting many digital art works.
I guess you are using S-NOTE.
How did you start with digital art?
In fact, I started making digital art works before canvas.
And my digital art works that push me up to drawing on canvas.
Certainly, I fell in love with both of them.
Especially drawing on S-Note.
I love the way which it works; easy to access, easy to learn and develop skill and match for my life style.
I draw everywhere and every time when I can and want. Both of us: me and my S-note, we collaborate to create a lot of digital art works.
Q7. @PEN.UP :
From your profile and works you did it’s obvious that you love Totoro.
Personally I think your versions of Totoro are so cute.
What does this character mean to you?
I believe that in the childhood, we have someone or something or some moments which exist and grown up together with us.
Totoro is my favorite animation.
For me this character is so warm, friendly, gentle and always beside the children.
He's the symbolic of the friendship which never end, hand to hand never apart, faith to faith never disappeared.
Certainly, He 's studio Ghibli for me :D
Q8. @PEN.UP :
There are some works, like below, the meaning of which cannot be easily understood.
Even though it’s quite difficult to understand, a close look would reveal the special meaning of those works.
Is there any reason why you do these works?
Absolutely yes, there were some reason for these works.
As I answer in previous questions, I am interested in politic and social issues.
At Thailand, we have a lot of problems.
One of them is political conflicts.
Now we have military government who don't understand about the rights and freedoms.
The government threatens the rights and freedoms of people's opinion.
Certainly, I don't accept it and I belive that I have the rights and freedom to express my opinion.
Because of this, some of my works have messages about Thailand situations such as some works in this question.
On the left side it's about the government that arrested people who think differently and on the right side it's about the youth movement for anti-corruption.
I know it's so difficult to understand, Sorry everyone T_T
Q9. @PEN.UP :
While there are some works difficult to understand, the works below about earthquakes in Japan, Ecuador and cheering messages are really moving.
Besides these works, you are quite interested in world-wide issues, aren’t you?
Yes, I'm interested in world-wide issues.
I believe we aren't just citizens of our country, but we are the global citizens too.
Therefore every world situations - such as earthquakes, floods, terrorism, human traffic - relate with us.
I'm concerned about it so much.
I want to share these messages with others.
Q10. @PEN.UP :
As well as on PEN.UP, you are very active on Facebook.
Not just your works, but also those messages attached to them are also meaningful.
(The translations sounded a little bit awkward, but some of them got my attention.)
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
My facebook is my door home.
It is opened to connect my existence with the others.
I communicate with the others who live in the same context, same culture and use the same mother language in which it's easier for me to write a short or long content caption.
Don't deny that it makes my works even more meaningful.
Q11. @PEN.UP :
We are close to the end.
The overall mood of the works below feels like a fairy tale.
I know that you participated into book fairs.
Do you do other activities?
I except it to be my main job, I'm a graphic designer, writer and columnist at weekly newspaper.
It may seem I am quite interested in more activities. :D
Q12. @PEN.UP :
Now, this is the last question for you.
From you status message in PEN.UP, you must be a special person.
What does painting mean to you?
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
When I think about art I think about life.
Q13. @PEN.UP :
Thanks for your interview.
Do you have anything to say to PEN.Ple?
A. @TumMeng_Inthira :
The life is short, the art is long.
Hope everyone enjoy living their life and creating the artworks.
Thank you so much for your likes and constant support.
Thanks again & again.
Thank you again for your interview. We hope you will show more works to us.
We are so impressed by your works and characters.
We are already looking forward to what kind of meanings you deliver.
We have passed 6 months of this year for now.
It’s been quite a while since we saw you PEN.Ple.
We hope we will be able to show our improvements.
Thank you.
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http://www.penup.com-The PEN.UP Team
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