We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Papatson Suphavai. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Papatson below.
Hi Papatson, thanks for joining us today. Can you take us back in time to the first dollar you earned as a creative – how did it happen? What’s the story?
Snack was my motivation to start my art hustle. A chunk of my childhood was spent hiding in our home due to a pending forfeiture case. A vivid memory I have is seeing the house day by day, getting emptied out as our belongings were being sold off. Seeing everything surrounding our home with a price tag and losing everything we have ever owned, I quickly began to understand the concept of value. I started to ask “what can I do with what I have” that was what inspired me to tap into the creative power.
When my parents migrated to America – we were still living in the house. We were little schemers. At school, my brother and I would sell our toys and any knick-knacks we’d receive in the mail from America, like bringing a big bag to school and sell them during breaks. We would meet up and share with each other how much we’d make – along with that, I started turning my drawing into comic books. They were full of love stories. I didn’t have access to a copier then, so I would trace the page by hand, making my very own copy of the original and selling them by page. On a lucky day, by lunch time, I would be able to buy a bit more candy than my usual limited daily allowance. Those money made were in baht, though, not dollars.
The first dollars ever earned was when I attended middle school in the U.S., I was known as that kid who always drew in class. My friend’s mom ran the city’s anti-bullying organization. She knew how I liked to draw, she had invited me to join a T-shirt design. I won first place and received 40.00 dollars as an award.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I was born on some of the most horrific and reality-shifting events known as Bloody May in 1992. Bloody May was a large protest occurred in Bangkok city where many were martyred in the name of freedom against the government. I like to joke that I was born pressed and ready to transform. I was raised by two brilliant parents who were, although with some suspicion, generous with their support of my interest and pursuit in art. I both had a private art tutor and attended painting classes at a very young age. I would attend art and poetry contests when I remember to, and I mostly would end up winning. There was no doubt I was gifted in the creative field. Oh, except fashion. I was always very stylish, but that is also because my parents were very fashionable and both made, sourced and styled their own looks.
I am very inspired by the Bay-Area community, by loving and living. I believe art-making to be a spiritual practice where the child self and the purusha (transcendental self) meet. I channel through intuitive drawing , conceptual painting, and visual styling. Currently, I am preparing for my solo show “Arriving at your destination”. It is so exciting to be presenting this series of work in particular – as it speaks about a concept of multi-dimensionality – which has been a concept I contemplated and created under for over 2 years.
The exhibition “Arriving at your destination” is about a non-linearity within a healing journey and dimensional traveling through the dream, psyche and waking life. This series becomes a conversation about the nature of existence that holds the polarities and spectrums — of decaying and blossoming, of violence and nurture, of pain and pleasure, of birth and death, of heaven and hell, of surrendering and control. Of everything in between. I love that this body of work helped expand me so much in all of the ways, it was truly an unfolding type of experience as I created it. Something so profound happens when you let go and trust. Which is what I practice when I create, is to work intuitively and letting my hands and body be a direct tool to the Source.
My exhibition will take place in February 2024 at SOMA Art and Cultural Center, San Francisco, CA.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The role of an artist is to reveal the unseen worlds, to bend boundaries and make your own rules. Being an artist means you can invent and reconstruct anything based on how you imagine it. Art has been a great space to tend to wellness. I often think of each of my pieces as a time-capsule of breakthroughs, transforming a wide range of emotions, leading to a healing experience. And then when you put it out there and people relate to it, find it helpful, or are able to expand a dialogue surrounding it. When your work is the catalyst for an energetic shift, whether for a split second or leaving a lasting imprint, where it is carried within someone and they create a ripple effect based off of that – is the most fulfilling feeling in the world.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
Everything that I do and who I am is a vessel for God and my ancestors – and my creation is in devotion to them. The goal is always to take care of my loved ones in this life with my best ability, to love, and expand interconnectedness. My mission is to make the spirit of creativity and healing remain playful, expansive and accessible. In all of its essence, I am committed to walking each-other home, living in remembrance of our true spirit and in alignment to our soul. I am also a big believer that we collectively heal through being in loving, supportive, divine bonds and connections. So I pour a lot of my energy into those intimate-scale relationships as well.
In addition to my practice, I found and directed a creative wellness space called Emotional landscape experience (ELX) centering the practices of the modern, ancient & cultural rituals such as meditation, moon cycle syncing, healing through art, foods and soul-nourishing activities. I am currently in collaboration with Divine Unity Collective, a Bay-Area based holistic collective, where we will be hosting something beautiful together soon.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.papatson.comn
- Instagram:@spapatsons / @elxspace
Image Credits
Photo by Mel Taing & Velvett Photos