Jagged spikes and angular forms splay every which way, forming the recognizable silhouettes and shapes of iconic cartoon characters. Sonic the Hedgehog is dashing away, glancing back with a mischievous smirk; Astroboy has arms outspread as he blasts off from his rocket-propeller legs; and Tom has finally done it—Jerry’s tail is clutched between his fingertips, and he’s seconds away from snatching up the elusive mouse. These reimagined cartoons are the works of Thai artist Pichet Rujivararat, better known by his moniker Tikkywow.
如激光般犀利的笔触正延伸出一个个为人熟知的卡通角色：疾速奔跑的刺猬索尼克；正穿梭于云霄的铁臂阿童木；《猫和老鼠》中的汤姆猫这次终于要成功了，两只猫爪已牢牢地抓住了杰瑞命运的咽喉。这些重新构想的卡通人物出自泰国艺术家 Pichet Rujivararat 的手笔，他有另一个圈内熟知的艺名“Tikkywow”。
Cartoons were a big part of Rujivararat’s childhood. As an only child, he spent countless hours in front of the television. These animated shows he watched have left a deep impression. Today, fictional characters from around the world—such as Bart Simpson, Doraemon, Shotaro Kaneda, and more—have made cameos on his canvases. Though they’re easily identifiable, they’ve been reimagined in a distinct, pop-art style that feels utterly different from their original designs. “Even as I got older, the things I watched as a kid are still vivid in my memory, and I’m still interested in them,” Rujivararat laughs. “They taught me how to tell stories in fun and colorful ways.”
卡通，是 Pichet 童年回忆的重要部分。作为家里独生子，他经常连续数小时霸占电视机遥控。这些回味无穷的动画片，对他日后的艺术创作带来深远影响。各式各样的卡通角色现身于他的作品中，譬如辛普森一家、哆啦A梦、金田正太郎等等。虽都是家喻户晓的卡通人物，但经过 Pichet 的重新演绎，让这些角色呈现出全新的风格，看上去与原始角色判若两人。他笑着说：“现在已经过了看动画的年纪，但这些角色像是活在了我的记忆中，他们教会我如何以丰富有趣的方式来讲故事。”
Aside from international cartoons, Thai culture has been an equally powerful source of influence for Rujivararat. In 2011, he created Yak, a series that he now considers as the bedrock of the unique aesthetic he’s now known for. The project consisted of various portraits of the yaksha, Buddhist deities believed to ward off evil spirits. In Thailand, the yaksha is considered a symbol of power and protection. Through unconventional shapes and psychedelic colors, Rujvararat reenvisioned these deities in a contemporary format. “I love Thai culture and have the most fun creating works inspired by Thai culture,” he says.
除了动画片，泰国当地文化在他的创作中也占有很大的比重。2011 年，Pichet 创作了《Yak》系列，该系列奠定了他日后的创作风格。其中包括了多幅夜叉（yaksha，佛教中驱除邪恶的神灵）的肖像重塑。在泰国文化中，夜叉是力量与保佑的象征。通过非常规形状和迷幻色，Pichet 以现代风格重构了夜叉。“我热爱泰国文化，以泰国文化为灵感的创作往往是最有趣的，”他说道。
The similar technicolor palette that began with Yak persists across his work today, though his usage of colors is even more polished now. Rujvararat explains that the palettes he now employs are based on the colors he associates with Thailand. He believes these color choices also imbue his work with positivity, which is something he’s eager to bring more of into the world. “I’ve made art in black-and-white before, but after doing it for a while, I started feeling depressed,” he says. “I wanted to change my perspective and started using brighter colors. I now always think about the colors I use and what emotion I want it to convey.”
从《Yak》开始，他的作品便一直延续了鲜艳色彩的设置，并在日后的打磨中渐渐娴熟。Pichet 解释说，作品中所有色彩都和泰国息息相关，并认为鲜艳的色彩能为作品注入不少积极的能量，这也是他的愿望——为世界带来更多积极的方面，感染更多人。“以前创作过黑白作品，但没过多久，我便感到单调。于是，想换一种创作思路，想注入更多明快的色彩。以至于现在每创作一幅作品之前，我都要先考虑颜色的运用，以及不同颜色所带来的情绪。”
Rujivararat is an artist not bound by mediums. Whether it be digital illustrations and streetside murals or life-sized sculptures and pocket-sized toy design, the materials and methods he works with are hardly important to him. He’s open to new ways of presenting his art, even unveiling a VR exhibition for the first time in 2021.
Ultimately, he just hopes to get his riotous works in front of more eyes, and as his artist moniker suggests, leave them with a singular reaction: “Wow.”
Pichet 不希望自己被创作媒介捆住手脚。无论是数字插画、街头壁画，真人大小的雕塑或是小型玩具设计，他一直乐于尝试不同的创作媒介。2021 年，他还首次办了个人的 VR 展览。
Pichet 希望让更多人看到自己五花八门的作品形式——正如他所取的笔名“Tikkywow”那样，让每幅作品都能获得“Wow”的一声惊叹。
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Contributor: David Yen
Chinese Translation: Olivia Li
