Chanida Areewatanasombat: new 'letting go' series

Chanida Areewatanasombat's new "letting go" series, noted 25 August 2026, uses illustration and looping animation as a way to process emotions most of us can't put into words.

What it is

Known as Chubbynida, the Bangkok-based artist makes what she calls "visual diaries": small, intimate works that fold memory, humour and surreal symbol into delicate line, gouache and digital motion. Her recent pieces centre on the mess of emotions involved in releasing long-held hopes, fears and grief — not a tidy surrender but a layered, often funny exploration of what letting go feels like.

Her process and reach

Chanida moves between oil pastel, collage, hand-drawn line and subtle animation, choosing medium to match mood. The animation loops are especially resonant: restrained movement amplifies emotion without spelling it out, making the work oddly cinematic and portable for screen-based projects. She is represented by London agency POCKO and has been rolling out a character design project, Chu-Billiken, launched earlier in 2026 for Japanese firm Tamurakoma.

"When I create something, like a drawing, illustration or animation, I feel a bit relieved," Chanida told Creative Boom.

Training at Kingston University shifted her approach — living alone abroad helped her find a voice she felt was missing — and her visual diaries have since found exhibition space in Thailand and beyond. She is preparing a show at Ó! Galeria in Porto opening in January and has other projects slated for 2027.

Why music fans should care

• Her looping animations and delicate palettes translate easily into music-video sensibilities, stage visuals and animated album art.
• Her character work — whimsical, ambiguous and repeatable — is built for branding, mascots or animated interludes that can deepen a record’s visual identity.
• Her practice of distilling complex feeling into single keywords and images makes her a quick, concept-driven partner for creative directors working on multimedia releases.

For musicians and visual directors scouting fresh animation and illustration languages, Chanida’s work offers voice, vulnerability and a distinct palette that feels both intimate and globally playable.