Time catches up to street art

STREET ART has certainly found its niche in the world of fashion, and the Central Marketing Group has recruited four of Thailand’s best-known wall decorators to liven up the trendy G-Shock sports wristwatch.
Each of the graffiti artists hails from a different region of the country and will be presenting their creations separately on home turf, starting in Khon Kaen on September 19, the official debut of the “Siam Manud Street G-Shock Siam Artists Series”. The Thai word manud refers to creative street art.
The whole concept of the G-Shock watch is to encourage people to take on challenges, become courageous leaders and try something outside the mainstream. Just 250 pieces have been made for this series and they sell for Bt11,900.
The promotional campaign is called “Siam Manud Street: Thailand’s National Treasure”, and the artists involved are Benzilla, Clubpop, P7 and Tikkywow, who’ve endeavoured to depict their conceptions of “Thainess” on the timepieces. It’s interesting to see how the notion varies from region to region.
Representing the Northeast, P7 is Janevit Limthumrong, whose graffiti adorns walls and other surfaces not only in Isaan but around Bangkok, in other provinces and even in other countries, where he’s had several formal exhibitions. His work is full of easily identified characters rendered in vivid paintings and even as sculptures.
P7 has come up with the G-Shock GA-100-1A2 watch, inspired by the cultural heritage of the Northeast, and particularly the Ghost Festival (Phee Tha Khon) celebrated annually in Loei. “It’s very special having the opportunity to express my unique art and style based on Phee Tha Khon,” he says. “I began by creating a sculpture and then I spray-painted it. Finally the design was transferred onto the watch, with the distinctive lips, canine teeth and eyes seen on the ghosts. The colours are lively and fun and there’s a lot of graphic detail.”
From the North, Tikkywow sprang from the imagination of Pichet Rujiwararat, who’s garnered much admiration for the way he perfectly mingles classical Thai art and contemporary concepts.
His G-Shock GA-100A-9A Series takes its cues from traditional fabrics and patterns. It’s lively in tone and bears his signature chameleon character, and the bright-yellow strap not only looks cool on the wrist, but it’s also amazing in the fine details.
“I’ve used northeastern hilltribe patterns and colours,” he says, “blending tradition with symbols of the street-culture lifestyle for a more contemporary look. This was the first time I’d ever designed a watch, so it was quite challenging, but I think my watch has universal appeal. I’ve sort of ‘decoded’ the pattern in a modern design with a fun colour palette. G-Shock is a playful watch anyway, and at the same time street art is gaining in popularity.”
From the South comes Clubpop by Peera Sukarsa, born in Phuket and now internationally renowned for his album-cover designs and graphics for concerts and parties. His distinctive strokes and unique “Multicolor” signature are praised for capturing teenage fashion and lifestyles with flair.
Naturally, his G-Shock GA-110GW-7A is inspired by his island home province, with its spectacular seascapes and Sino-Portuguese architecture, and where, he says, “every day is a holiday”.
“Most of my ideas came from the charm of the Andaman Sea and the blissful atmosphere of the beaches. I wanted my watch to calm the wearer like a southern sea breeze and remind them of the various tourist attractions on Phuket. The tones are all light – like the white sky and blue sea, and there’s a little bit of red. I want them to feel good when they look at it.”
And, representing Central Thailand, Benzilla is Parinya Pichetsiriporn, famed for his endearing extraterrestrial character “3 Balls”, invariably depicted in strong colours and energetic approach.
For his G-Shock GA-100B-4A watch, he’s taken a good look at the development of the big cities. “Looking up the history of how man built the cities, the one design element used over the ages that stood out for me was the brick. So I’ve used red as the main colour to symbolise concrete and bricks and express real Thainess and evolution, along with street art and street fashion,” he says.
“I’ve always loved to draw and I always came up with friendly characters, like the cute alien, to express what the Kingdom of Thailand has lost over time. This watch was a new and challenging experience for me – but now it’s favourite watch!”