MYCITY | BANGKOK WITH SUNTUR

The artist captions this painting with "Accept the imperfection".

Bangkok-based artist Suntur (Yozanun Wutigonsombutkul) is known for quietly evocative paintings that combine restrained compositions, expansive landscapes and subtle colour palettes. Originally trained in visual communication and now working as a full-time artist, his distinctive visual language has earned an international following and collaborations across fashion and design.

For our latest MYCITY conversation, Suntur shares a personal perspective on Bangkok beyond its familiar pace and intensity. He speaks about the hidden quietness of the city, the instinct behind his creative process, the value of simplicity, and the objects – including eyewear – that become meaningful through thoughtful design.


What is something about Bangkok that only becomes visible when you have lived here for a long time?

Suntur: If you stay in Thailand long enough, you’ll probably notice how funny Thai people are. I think Thai people are really creative when it comes to turning stressful situations into jokes. You can see it a lot through memes and online comments, but also in real life through the way people talk and joke with each other. Somehow, even when things are stressful, people can still make it funny.

Bangkok is often described as fast, crowded and intense. What keeps you connected to the quieter side of the city?

Suntur: Personally, I feel like Bangkok is a really chaotic and crowded city. But somehow, even within all that chaos, there are still little pockets of peace hidden in different corners. I’m someone who really values quietness, and even my home is a bit outside the city, where that sense of calm still exists. I think that’s part of Bangkok’s charm it’s busy and overwhelming, but at the same time, it still has these peaceful moments hidden around the city. Maybe because life here is so hectic, those quiet moments feel even more valuable.


Where in Bangkok do you go when you need distance or perspective?

Suntur: These days, I actually enjoy staying at home a lot because my home is very quiet and private, so I’ve kind of become a homebody. But when I want to feel calm or comforted, I like going to temples to make merit and feed the fish. Another thing I enjoy is driving in silence. Sometimes I don’t play any music or podcasts at all I just drive quietly and listen to my own thoughts.


Has your relationship with the city changed over the years, or do you still see it through the same eyes?

Suntur: Of course, as time passes, your perspective changes and grows with age too. There are things about this city that used to frustrate me, but now I’m a lot better at letting them go and just seeing them as part of everyday life.

 "In every painting I make, there's always a story hidden inside it."

Many of your works feature solitary figures within vast landscapes or open spaces. What draws you to that sense of scale?

Suntur: I’ve always been drawn to empty space. It feels like it leaves room for our own thoughts to exist. In every painting I make, there’s always a story hidden inside it. The characters in my work are part of that storytelling or sometimes they’re like questions I’m sending out to the viewer.


Your paintings often leave a great deal of space around a subject. In a city as dense as Bangkok, where does that sense of openness come from?

Suntur: I don’t really paint city scenes very often. Most of my work is centered around nature, and maybe that’s my way of escaping the chaos. Through my paintings, I want to take people into another world one that feels quiet, calm, and maybe carries a little loneliness too.

"Through my paintings, I want to take people into another world one that feels quiet, calm, and maybe carries a little loneliness too."

How do you know when a work is finished?

Suntur: I think this is something artists just know by instinct when a piece is missing something, or when it already has too much in it. For me, it’s usually more about taking things away than adding more. I tend to remove the parts that feel unnecessary and leave only what truly needs to be there. Once I’ve taken enough away and it feels right, I know the piece is finished. At that point, there’s no need to add anything else that doesn’t belong.


Your work feels remarkably pared back. Is simplicity something that comes naturally, or something that requires constant editing?

Suntur: It comes from both sides, really, from my personal taste for things that are simple, clean, and not too cluttered, and also from the habit of cutting away what feels unnecessary. I think that way of working also affects the way I think and the way I am as a person. I’ve always been quite good at turning complicated things into something simple. Maybe it’s also because I’m a bit lazy and always looking for shortcuts. I’m not really someone who naturally understands complicated things, so my brain tends to look for the simplest way that still works.


How has your approach to making evolved over the years?

Suntur: My work has actually been changing little by little over the years. Sometimes it becomes more reduced, sometimes it shifts in other ways, depending on how the world is moving. Some stories might have felt right to tell last year, but not this year. I think you have to keep paying attention to the world to how people are feeling, and to the mood or trends of the moment. But even if the work changes, I still think style and identity are important. No matter how much the work evolves, I always want to keep a sense of myself in every piece.

Is there a particular material, tool or habit that you return to every day?

Suntur: I was born and grew up in the analog era, a time when we listened to music on cassette tapes and lived without the internet. I think there’s a certain charm in that kind of life. In today’s world, everything moves so fast, and waiting has almost become something frustrating for people. So if I have the right idea, I’d love to bring some of those feelings and experiences back into my work.


What is the relationship between art and design in your life?

Suntur: I think art and design are hidden in almost everything around us. From the moment we wake up, we’re already making choices what to wear before leaving the house, what colour bedsheets will work with the room, or even how we plate food and choose the dishes we use. These small things make life feel more aesthetic and meaningful. Are they necessary? Maybe not for everyone. But for me, a life without that sense of beauty and sensitivity doesn’t really feel like living at all.


Are there objects you keep close because of how they are made rather than what they do?

Suntur: Personally, I think everything in this world that has been created has its own reason and its own purpose. Some of the things I buy don’t really have any practical function at all, and people around me sometimes ask why I bought them. But maybe their function is simply to let me look at them, live with them, and learn how to care for them.

"I’m someone who really values quietness, and even my home is a bit outside the city, where that sense of calm still exists."

What makes a piece of design endure?

Suntur: As long as there is still someone who can see the value in an object, that object will continue to hold value within itself, no matter how much time passes.


Are there elements of local design, architecture or everyday life that inspire you?

Suntur: I’m often inspired by the colours I come across in everyday life – different colour combinations I see on the street, in buildings, in nature, or even in insects. I take those colors and bring them into my work.


What role does eyewear play in your daily life beyond vision?

Suntur: Beyond just helping us see, glasses can also shape our character and the way people remember us. They say something about our personality, and even reflect our sense of taste and style.


Do you approach choosing eyewear in a similar way to how you approach art or design?

Suntur: I usually choose glasses that suit me and make me look better. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve started looking for glasses that are lightweight too.


What makes a frame feel right to you?

Suntur: I spend a lot of time trying on glasses, putting them on and taking them off again and again. But when you put on the right pair, you just know, it tells you to buy it. You can feel immediately that it suits you.

Thank you for sharing your time, creative work and perspectives with us.

Visit MYKITA in Bangkok at Centralworld and Langsuan.