Meet Lun Padungvichean | Illustrator and Rug Maker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lun Padungvichean and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lun, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I think art is one thing I truly enjoy in life. It is something I can spend a whole day on without getting tired (most of the time). I start making art when I was really young and it’s been something I enjoy doing since then. Growing up in a pretty artistic family, I get to see my relatives working in the art fields and I always think it’s really inspiring. They never push me to pursue an art career to be like them, but I ended up enjoying it anyway. I remember I started to be really interested in making art when I met my first art teacher in kindergarten (I accidentally met her through my friend who is taking class with her and I continue taking class with her until I was in middle school). She really allows me to explore all the different mediums and she has always been really supportive of what I want to do. I think that is when I really get into the artistic field. She never says I’m too young to be using the techniques, instead, she makes sure I know how to work with them correctly and lets me explore them the way I want to. I then start to make art consistently every week and start to get compliments from people around me. I think that’s when I start to feel like art is something I think I’m good at and it is something I want to pursue in the future. I always love all the art classes over any other classes in school no matter what medium it is. I think it really allows me to express my imagination in a creative way. I love thinking of fun ideas or characters and expressing them through different art mediums. I think the fact that art doesn’t just have one form is what makes it fun and keeps me away from getting sick of it. So, when I think of what I wanna do career-wise I think art is the most exciting thing for me and that is why I pursue the artistic career path.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The way I would describe my work is a little bit whimsical, awkward, funny, and playful. I always get my inspiration from the natural forms and the different environments I’ve lived in. I think I especially like to look at animals and you can see many of them through my artwork. I want to make art that makes people smile and happy. I think that is what I want to share through all of my art. like to work with many different materials from drawing, sewing, sculpting, and so many more. I think it is really fun to be able to hop around different techniques. I would say I have a pretty consistent style across whatever medium I decide to use which ties all my works together as a whole no matter what material I use.

I’m currently working as a freelance illustrator and also I’ve been taking my rug business more seriously, which is something I’m excited about! It started as a hobby back in 2020 when COVID first hit. I was able to explore this technique in my free time (since we can’t leave the house and nothing was open…). I honestly got into it because I saw people making them on social media and I thought it seems fun and I wanted to try out something new. I also wanted to turn my illustrations into something more physical. So I just start by making some fun designs of my creatures and made them into the rug. It turns out I enjoy it and I began to get a lot of attention on social media by posting my rugs. My account blows up in such a short time and I am truly grateful for it.

I moved to the States back when I was 14 with the hope that I could take my art somewhere further than just being in Thailand considering how small the art market is there. I wasn’t sure at first which art direction I want to go into since I enjoy working with every material. I went to college undecided and was told by Fred, one of the illustration professors, that illustration doesn’t have a single form. It can be anything as long as it can communicate with people. That’s when I decided to become an illustrator.

Although I was very lucky to be able to do what I love, it was not easy coming out of art school. Especially when it was when COVID first hit in 2020. As an international student, I felt like it was the most crucial time since I only get 1 year to find a job plus get a work visa to remain in the States. I was able to get some job opportunities to keep my status through the year, but in the end, my visa got rejected, and have no choice but to move back to Thailand. Honestly, that was probably the most heartbreaking news I’ve ever received. To know that something I’ve been working on for 7 years just kinda disappears. It’s been about 4 months now since I moved back to Thailand, I now feel a little better and have been getting some exciting opportunities! I think what I realize is that although things may not turn out exactly the way you wanted, some other doors of opportunity will open if you just keep trying. I realize how important it is to have a good support system. I wouldn’t be where I am today without them, so really I’m grateful for all the support I received.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love nature and also love eating so my list just gonna be a compilation of those two things! My favorite thing to do when I was in LA is definitely the beach although I don’t go very often, it’s always rewarding every time take a visit though. I like to drive to Malibu and do a little picnic at Staircase beach by Leo Carrillo. I think it’s one of the quiet beaches around malibu and the tide pools are really fun to look at. You can find cool shells or sometimes starfish there! There’s also a trail there call There’s a lobster roll place called Broad Street Oyster that is really good in the area. Me and my friend always stop there when we go up to Malibu. Another thing I like to do is walk around Old Town Pasadena. I think it is such a nice small walking street with a whole bunch of restaurants and shops. I feel like it’s something you don’t see much in the city. They also have a farmers’ market every Thursday which I think is really fun. Every time I go there I always stop by a Poke place called Poke Salad Bar and then get some bubble tea from Jin Tea. I also like to go sit at the bottom of Griffith Park where there’s a grass area. I go picnic there pretty often since it was kinda close to my apartment. I would then get some amazing papaya salad from Lacha Somtum in Thai town. In my opinion, they have one of the most authentic papaya salads I’ve ever tried in the States! Some other restaurants that I really like are Lasita (amazing Philipino food and a really good vibe with whole selections of wine), Uncle Paulie’s Deli (my all-time favorite easy deli sandwich), and Pho Cafe. If there’s time I would recommend taking a trip to Joshua Tree National Park and camping there for a day or two! Enjoy the amazing landscape and all the nature trails, definitely a place to go if you wanna get away from crazy life!

Since I haven’t been back to Thailand, there are so many new places that I have not yet visited. But my absolute favorite place to take my friend to is this island called Samed Island. It’s a small island on the east side of Thailand which I think is the perfect island to visit if you don’t have much time since it’s not too far from Bangkok and the water is super nice and clear. Another place that I would recommend is to walk around the old town of Bangkok. You will see all these historical buildings and enjoy all the street food! You can also visit many temples and cafes in this area as well!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who support me throughout my career, but I want to start with my parents and family. They have been extremely supportive of me when it comes to my pursuing an art career. Since I was young they never force me to follow any certain career path instead they observe and support me in whatever I wanna do. When they see that I like making art they asked me if I want to take extra art classes outside of school and support me with whatever I needed. I’m really grateful for what they have done for me. My mom is someone who never does anything halfway. So when she knows that I’m getting more serious with my art career she started to look for all these art opportunities for me (until today). Even though she’s not someone who knows much about art and doesn’t work in the art field, she tries really hard to support me in any way she can. My dad is a very creative person, so he always gives me amazing art advice and input. Many times I get new ideas from talking to him and he is also extremely supportive of what I wanna do with my life.

Send love to all of my friends, without you guys my life would be miserable! I still think about the time at RISD every time I see suggested pictures on my phone hahaha. It was honestly one of the best memories I have and all of you guys are the most inspiring people. I love when we talk about stupid ideas that somehow turn into a project and still miss living in that damp basement unit sometime (not really). Although we didn’t have time to say goodbye because of COVID I hope we will all be reunited at some point!

I also want to say thank you to all of my art teachers throughout my life, especially Kru Lek who’s gotten me started with my art career. She is always really supportive of what I want to do and she is the reason why I started to enjoy making art. All of my art teachers throughout my elementary school-middle school from Roong Aroon,who always give me creative freedom and introduces me to all the fun art techniques. Thank you for never saying no to me when I say I want to make a whole bunch of creature characters for my project! My high school art teachers from Interlochen Arts Academy, who really get me thinking about how important the concept and story behind each artwork are. Also thank you for helping me feel at home when I’m in cold Michigan hahaha. Thank you to all of my RISD professors, I’m so glad I got to do so many real-life assignments with such amazing mentorship from all of you. Thank you for your support and all the helpful critiques. It helps me improve as an illustrator and I was able to develop my work because of it!

Website: https://duairakp.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/duck.ruai/