My work often starts with something small: an everyday object, a family story, or a memory of a particular place. From there, I explore themes such as migration, identity, womanhood, family relationships, and what it means to live between cultures. These subjects are personal to me, but I want viewers to find their own experiences within the images rather than being given one fixed story.
I mainly work with digital illustration and risograph printing. I like combining the control of digital drawing with the less predictable nature of risograph. The grain, limited colours, slight misregistration, and overlapping layers bring warmth and texture to the finished prints.
Since moving from Thailand to Germany, my relationship with home and identity has continued to change. Making art helps me process the challenges of adapting to a new culture, from changes in language and everyday routines to questions of identity and belonging. It also helps me recognise the memories and relationships that continue to connect me to home.
Biography
I am Pirawan, a Thai illustrator and mixed-media artist based in Germany. Having lived and worked in Thailand, the UK, and Germany, I often think about what we keep from one place when we move to another. My work deals with migration, identity, womanhood, family memories, and the feeling of belonging between different cultures. I mainly work with digital illustration and risograph printing, often using everyday objects and personal memories as starting points.
I studied Industrial Arts in Bangkok and later Creative and Cultural Entrepreneurship at Goldsmiths in London, followed by branding studies at Central Saint Martins. For more than ten years, I have worked as an illustrator, art director, designer, and university lecturer. My illustrations have appeared in Elle Deco, Die Welt, and Elle Thailand, alongside projects for cultural and commercial clients.
I have exhibited in Thailand and Taiwan, including at Wonderfruit Festival, Pop Up Asia, Chiang Mai Design Week, and The Jam Factory. Most recently, ten of my risograph works were exhibited at Hotel Art Fair Bangkok in June 2026. I was represented by Great Good from Good Guests, an artist collective led by curator Anon Pairot.