THE THIRD CHAPTER : INTERVIEW WITH her. (ENGLISH VER.)
Every artist carries something at the heart of their practice—an idea, a question, or a way of seeing that continues to shape the work as it evolves.
In this conversation, her., an independent artist based in Thailand, shares her approach to creating and the experiences that have shaped her practice. Working across art books, zines, illustrations, animations, and installation, she combines analogue techniques such as hand painting and paper collage with miniature, theatre-like settings and photography. Her works move between personal experiences, imagined scenes, and observations of the world around her, creating a space where different forms of expression come together.
In this chapter of The Core Message, we look at the ideas and questions that continue to accompany her as an artist. From the way she approaches each work to how she understands her own practice, her. reflects on creating, changing, and finding her way through the process. Through this conversation, we are invited to spend time with the thoughts behind her work and the perspective that continues to shape it.
--
 |
| her. |
 |
| her. |
Q. This chapter is titled The Core Message. If you were to describe the “anchor” or the central idea that runs through your practice, what would it be?
A. As I answered some in the previous question, first I just started because I wanted to speak or communicate with other people or this world by art. But it doesn’t mean just the art piece but also the word. Actually, I place more importance on the word or concept than I would writing the concept and assembling the artwork every time. My art starts with some kind of thoughts before, as when I live my daily life or have some experiences, I will write in my journal so as to express and also to understand the situation. So after my thoughts become clear, I have the main concepts, and then the picture, medium, or technique to use will come after that. I like to share my perspective of thoughts but also want to express them in the picture or art piece, too.
So the main intention is just because I feel comfortable being myself when communicating in this way (creating art), but furthermore, for me... it is also the healing sometimes or the conversation with myself for understanding the inner self. Actually, in this time that I think more about this question … I realize most of my work starts from some problems, like some conflicts in life; because of that, I choose them—I want to do them as the way to confirm to myself again that I can get through them or for seeing some good things in that situation for moving forward…embrace everything again. Like the echo that I’ve made will come back to me too. I created the art for myself first because I trust that if I feel, everybody will feel also, and after that I hope my work will be useful for someone, somehow.
Q.Is there a specific piece among your works that you feel most clearly embodies this "core message"? We would love to hear the story behind that work and why it holds such a special place in your heart.
A. I think all of my work has its own value and can express its meaning that links to my first intention as well. But I would choose this piece because it is more special than any. It is my first artwork of life in 2022; actually, I didn’t learn about fine art or painting or even be the kind of person that like to draw or do the art since I was young. I have a major in theater art, so I am just trying… exploring painting (doing this kind of art) for 4 years, and at that moment I am very much a beginner, but this piece came out in a way that I really love… like funny, magical, and full of power and sparkle. Its name is ‘Aquarium of Hope,' which is about one little girl with the small yellow duck doll in her hand. She’s standing in front of the big aquarium in silence. Actually, it is one big art piece, but I picture it in 4 scenes assembled with short dialogue to narrate its concept. I will share with you all the concept here.
One day this question occurs to my thoughts when I lie down on my terrace looking to the blue sky: 'When the world is dark, what have you seen?’ I think about the aquarium, where the blue shine is shining on all parts of my body... it is all around. And then I feel like that they are not different...the blue sky, the aquarium, or this world.
Picture 1
"...in the large and empty world."
- World or Aquarium -
Picture 2
‘I see blue sky...some nights I see the stars (Orion guide me to Sirius, always).'
- Ocean or Universe -
Picture 3
"...and hope that one day light will shine through."
- (Land of) hope in a hopeless land -
Picture 4
"...in the large and empty world, I hope you’ll be real."
- Aquarium of hope -
 |
Aquarium of hope Picture 1 |
 |
| Aquarium of hope Picture 2 |
 |
| Aquarium of hope Picture 3 |
 |
| Aquarium of hope Picture 4 |
Q. Sometimes, the most important messages are felt rather than seen. Is there a "whisper" or a subtle atmosphere in your work that you hope the audience will sense, even if it’s hard to put into words?
A. “Even if the picture or art piece seems to look so sad, or however it feels broken, it will at least have the light, some shine, or ‘hope’ in there, always.”
As I have said before, the main or big whole concept—or, I can say, the “big theme of my life”—is still about finding some hope or a good perspective in every situation.
It doesn’t mean you have to always think positively like that. Maybe this is just my personal way of wanting to see things clearly, as they really are. If I’m sad, hateful, or feel broken and down, it’s all okay. It’s just a normal, little part of ourselves. But I want to focus on what comes after that. “What’s next? How can I get through this?”
At one art fair in Thailand, an older woman came to see my work. I kept describing many of the pieces to her, and then she said, “Why would many works look broken?”
At that moment, I remember answering her immediately, “But it still has beauty in its own way, right?” And we smiled at each other.
After that day, I thought a lot about the way many people see my work, and I realized that this is still a message I wish everyone could see.
“Sometimes, we don’t have to look at sadness in a sad way.”
It is a sentence I remembered and really liked from one of my professors at the university. It includes everything that feels difficult, negative, unpleasant, or dark. It worked on me once, so I hope it can work for many people too.
 Dear ... the seeker. Artwork in ‘Oh! I'm here, I’m here.’ Collection 2026 |
 |
‘Oh! I hear, I’m here.’ Exhibition |
Q. Artists often find themselves returning to a certain inquiry. What is the persistent question you find yourself asking through your art, regardless of how your style may change?
A. Actually this question is the most difficult for me. Maybe I have answered already in many other questions. I think it is about 'being real’ or ‘being true to myself'...honesty and sincerity are the starting points of all the concepts and my art. It is very important for me. Because when I do it in actuality, it takes time. Some pieces take one day, but some, like a big installation, take many days, and it's easy to lose the first intention regardless of the emotional stability that changes each day or the fear or the uncertainty when it doesn't turn out as I’ve dreamed, but due to various requirements, I am pushed to complete it. Therefore, the guidance that pulls me back is to ask, "What do I want? What do I want to communicate? What is truly me now?" I mean, this is what I face almost every time I work, no matter what kind of art piece or style it is, not necessarily as this thing.
 |
| Dreamlike Illusion Artwork in 'Oh! I'm here, I'm here.' Collection 2026 |
Q. In an era of rapidly changing trends, how do you maintain your own pace and stay focused on the voice that matters most to you?
A. If I understand your question correctly, I don’t think I really have this kind of problem when it comes to my way of working. I think my work is quite different, and perhaps for a while, that difference itself became a challenge for me. At that time, I felt that my work wasn’t necessarily accessible to a wider audience. But now I’ve come to understand that being different can be a good thing for an artist.
I don’t compare myself to other artists or pay much attention to trends because I’m more interested in exploring myself. I like things that are unique, independent, and genuinely me. My main question is which textures, mediums, or techniques can help me turn the images in my mind into something tangible. I also think about what I want people to feel when they encounter my work.
My only enemy is myself. I’m a perfectionist, and sometimes I struggle with low self-esteem. So I try to maintain my own pace of working while also taking care of myself: eating well, sleeping well, doing yoga, staying deeply connected with myself, reading, listening, and spending time in green spaces.
All of these things help me stay productive and, more importantly, help me hear the things I truly want to say.
Q. During the creative process, is there a specific moment or a sensation of "rightness" that tells you a piece has successfully captured your intended message?
A. Actually, I’m still finding and exploring my own style. I don’t think I’ve reached the style I dream of yet. Last year, however, I had the opportunity to hold my first solo exhibition at one of the country’s major art institutions, the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre (BACC). I was very scared, but I chose to do it because it was such a great opportunity.
Preparing for the exhibition wasn’t easy. Alongside the work itself, I was also constantly trying to encourage myself and work through my own doubts. I still felt that I hadn’t found my style yet, but one of my friends told me that, from her perspective, everything I had made already felt like me.
That made me ask myself, “What does it mean for something to feel like enough? How will I know when I’ve done enough?” Maybe the question wasn’t really whether I had found it or not, but whether I was allowing myself to feel that what I had made was enough.
After that, I made a piece called More than found, maybe embrace, which was the first work people saw when they entered the gallery. I made it in a very simple and intuitive way, in just three hours.
That experience led me to create with a freer mind, allowing myself to be more open to whatever comes through. Looking back a year later, I have a new perspective. I’m still trying to improve both my work and myself, but now I also appreciate my work differently. I no longer see each piece simply as an artwork, but as part of my journey at this point in my life.
Every brushstroke, colour, and technique is connected to my idea of art and represents who I am now. “Me” at this age, with these ideas and this way of making art, all come together as one whole thing that represents my present self. So I think every piece has its own sense of rightness for that particular moment. It’s just what it is — it simply exists as itself.
I created each piece with the feeling that, at that moment, the colour, texture, and everything I chose were right, and that I had done the best I could. That’s all.
I used to think every piece had to be perfect, but I don’t think that anymore. Every piece can be a step for me moving forward. What matters most is consistency. It has to feel complete, but not perfect.
 |
More than found, maybe embrace.
Mixed media.
2024
Q. Beyond the final result, what part of the "act of creating" itself do you find most precious or aligned with your personal values?
A. The most important thing for me is “the flow” I experience while working. Actually, I don’t make sketches before I begin a piece. I have an image in my head, but it isn’t fully formed. It’s more like a rough idea of the mood, tone, colours, and the mediums and materials I want to use. So when I’m working, I feel very free. When I feel physically and mentally refreshed, I really enjoy working. Time seems to disappear, and that is the “flow” I’m talking about.
I’m happy when I’m creating. And because I don’t plan everything too carefully from the beginning, I often come across moments that feel almost magical. Sometimes a work develops in a way that is much better than I imagined. It can even feel as though each work has its own “free will.”
I often feel that, as an artist, I’m simply a channel for creative ideas that are flowing through the world. It feels as though the ideas themselves choose how they want to come into the world. They decide what form they want to take.
Those moments surprise me, but at the same time, they make me feel deeply grateful.
 |
In Between; fragment of the past. Mixed media. 2026 |
Q. Looking back, was there a specific experience that shifted your focus beyond purely aesthetic concerns and led you to think more deeply about what you wanted to convey through your work?
A. Many times, I feel worried about the final work as well. But I don’t think I can make it any other way because I’ve already seen it in my head. Sometimes I try to change something while I’m working, but honestly, I can feel that it isn’t right, so I end up following the original plan anyway.
And when the work is finished, of course I ask myself, “Is it beautiful?” But beyond that, I know when it looks like what I had envisioned in my head from the beginning. When it does, I feel that the work is complete.
I also think that my work can communicate in ways that go beyond visual beauty. For example, in some pieces, I make small holes in the canvas and place a light behind it to represent a night sky filled with stars. The light shines through the small holes, and when people walk or move, the light shifts with them. It can feel almost like real stars, twinkling one after another.
Every piece is unique in its own way, and I think that is part of what makes each one beautiful. A work can come into the world in many different ways, and each one can have its own kind of beauty. But what matters more to me is… Can it communicate in the way I want?
Q. As your practice has evolved, how has your core message shifted or become more defined over time?
A. Seven years ago, when I was working on my thesis in theatre production, my main theme was also hope. One of my seniors once asked me, “If you grow up and experience many disappointments in life, will you still want to talk about hope? Will you still believe in it?”
And yes. Until now, I’ve found that I still want to speak about it. Even when some pieces don’t address hope directly, I think it may be because of the way I see the world, or because I still want to remind myself of it, again and again. It has become almost like a subtext, a quiet message that people often find in my work.
But I don’t force myself to stay within this way of thinking. In the future, as I grow and enter new stages of life, maybe my core message will shift. And I think that’s okay. It can change.
Now, when I look back, I think I have more confidence than I did in the past. At this age, I’ve experienced many transitions, and because of them, I feel more strongly that we need hope and belief. We need something to believe in. I think it is necessary for us to keep living.
Q. What kind of internal conversation do you hope a viewer has with themselves when they spend time with your work? What is the "echo" you hope stays with them?
A. Embrace all of it, everything in your life. Find your own way of seeing the beauty in life, because I think that is the way for facing things and healing.
I use light in my work because I think many things can become beautiful when light shines through them, like preserved flowers or plants. When you shine a light from behind, you can see all of their skeletons, and I find that so amazing.
When I was first starting out as an artist, I remembered a sentence from The Little Prince: “What is essential is invisible to the eye; one can only see clearly with the heart.” For me, it feels similar. You have to reveal all of yourself first and let the light shine through, and then you will see the truth, the real you. This is the way I live my life.
I share my personal experiences and perspectives through my work, hoping it will connect with someone who is facing a similar situation, to encourage or empower them somehow. I hope my work can do that, more or less.
Q. Thank you so much for sharing such thoughtful insights with us today. As we conclude our conversation, is there a final thought or a quiet sincerity you would like to share with those who will encounter your work?
A. First of all, thank you so much for having me in this project. Thank you for your time and for reading. I am still finding myself and trying to live life with well-being, so if you have a chance to see my work, I hope it brings you happiness and gives you some energy back, even if just a little.
I hope… we all find and head toward the light, always.
Thank you. :)
 |
| her. |
Comments
Post a Comment