INTERVIEW- published 14 February 2026
It All Started With An Idea…
A special Valentine’s Day interview on the beginnings of bkk UNZINE with Sketchman Boris
Valentine’s Day evokes notions of love, relationships and commitments, so it’s the perfect time to discuss the origins and implications of bkk UNZINE’s own motto of “do what you love” with founder Boris Aravindabalan. Let’s take a look into the origin of bkk UNZINE…
Before we get into the motto, let’s touch a little upon the name “bkk UNZINE.” How did that name come about and was it solely your concoction? Do you recall any other ideas for names and why they were ultimately passed over for “bkk UNZINE” as your final choice?
I can’t remember the other names we were thinking of at that time. But I clearly remember the moment when I was about to go brush my teeth when the word “unzine” flashed in my head. Yes, I came up with this because I saw something that would change shape as it goes and the “un” in front of “zine” belonged in a sense to “unconventional”. It just happens that when joined together it sounded like the word “unseen” as in artists who don’t usually get the mainstream spotlight, including myself of course.
Friends gather every week at UNZINE 95, bkk UNZINE’s studio headquarters, for the Monday Night Draw! event
When was this, by the way? And what was the spark that led you to decide you wanted to establish bkk UNZINE? Which came first, the magazine or the general organization?
I had the idea after an artist I knew left Bangkok kind of disappointed, saying something along the lines of “it’s almost impossible for artists to make a living in Bangkok”. I didn’t completely agree but I felt sad that someone I knew left like that and I thought if there was a “platform,” a place where people can share their artwork without having to rely on algorithms and what is “popular” that’d be great. It started as an online magazine.
I’d imagine it was a huge leap of faith in the beginning. Was it a solitary affair or were there key cohorts at the time? I’d take it that faces have changed over the years…
I invited a lot of people to be on board… that would include Paul Limgenco, who was very supportive of the idea and was one of the first contributors. Venky and two other girls. Now Venky and I are the only ones from the original team, but Paul has still contributed to the magazine and was the first featured artist of the relaunch last year.
Sketchman Boris with Paul Limgenco and Nirut Chamsuwan on the fateful night the BKK Comics Art Festival was born
Did your original conception match what bkk UNZINE is today? What goals or activities did you have to adapt or abandon, if any, and do you have any regrets about roads not taken?
With artists who submitted and people who helped me, we started as an online magazine but evolved into incorporating more events like group exhibitions and drawing meetups, which were already part of what I was doing even before bkk UNZINE, as I love bringing people together around creative activities. I would say it far exceeded what I intended, which was an online magazine. I don’t have any regrets, just ideas that can be incorporated into the structure we have now.
“…artists need a sense of security, not only financially; I feel people are smart enough to figure out jobs to make a living. They also need to belong socially too. The idea of the magazine and publishing together with other people was meant to make you feel like you’re not alone even though in the creative process it might feel that way.”
Was “do what you love” always the motto or did that come after?
Yes, it was always the motto from the start. I truly believe in that. I’ve always wanted a world where people, especially artists could do what they loved.
With longtime bkk UNZINE team member Chartlada “Jam” Sangakij at the BKK Comics Art Festival in 2024
On the surface it’s pretty self-explanatory but fill us in on your thinking behind the concept and your perspective on doing what one loves.
The idea was that it’d be a vision for a world where everyone can create without financial worry, shame or any other reason people have come up with for not creating. I believe that making what you love the main activity that sets the tone for your life is not only the way to find purpose but also inspires others to do the same.
How do you think this applies to artists and creatives specifically? Oftentimes artists have to balance their passion with the realities of surviving, as not all are lucky enough to fully sustain themselves with just their passion, so how does one temper that pursuit of what they love with other necessities?
I think artists need a sense of security, not only financially; I feel people are smart enough to figure out jobs to make a living. They also need to belong socially too. The idea of the magazine and publishing together with other people was meant to make you feel like you’re not alone even though in the creative process it might feel that way. Just like art is a silent conversation and connection between human beings, I wanted bkk UNZINE to be a platform that gave them a sense of belonging and a platform for them to showcase their talent. A hub to connect art, artists and art lovers.
The very first issue of bkk UNZINE art magazine was released in 2020
And how about yourself? What are the “loves” you are pursuing, in terms of interests and passions? What have been the things you love, from the past trends you might not be proud of loving today to the constants that will always be with you?
I have put my personal comic book projects aside as I didn’t have time to develop them. So this year I’ve decided to make comics every month and post them on my ko-fi page where members can read. I will be pursuing making comics more actively and people will be able to read my weird stories. I can’t think of anything that I have loved in the past and I am not proud of loving today. I am very critical of the way AI is used in art in most cases and by most people.
Setting up for the 4th BKK Comics Art Festival at the Bangkok Art and Culture Centre in 2025
bkk UNZINE has become a fixture of the local art scene; what are your thoughts on the art world today? Where do you think it’s going and what are aspects that you’d want to celebrate and aspects you’d rather avoid or work to correct?
I feel that the fine art world still looks like it’s a market for elites to purchase or to collect things mostly to show status. However, in a place in Bangkok I can feel the art scene booming with events and exhibitions… too many to keep up.
I have to say that I still crave stories and storytelling aspects in these exhibitions and events in Bangkok. I feel that the art world mostly relies on high concepts and jargon to justify the high value and forgets to speak to the people who actually need it: the common people, the youngsters, the politicians, the business people and so on.
I’d like to make the arts more approachable and invite people from all walks of life to create, to discuss and of course to support artists. Just drawing something can change the relationship you have with art.
Visiting young artists, instructor Andy Zeal and partner organization Children of the Forest in Sangkhlaburi
How do you want bkk UNZINE to be seen and regarded by the public, both creative and non-creative? In your heart of hearts, what role does it play for both the art community and audiences, and where would you like to go from here? How can people get involved?
I’d like bkk UNZINE to become a space where artists can showcase their work freely and connect with a supportive community of artists and audiences who appreciate creativity. And the vision going further in that direction bkk UNZINE will be the safe space and platform for artists to live a creative life and do what they love.
Join Boris and the rest of the bkk UNZINE community at the numerous events we’re a part of around Bangkok. Keep an eye on bkkunzine.com for announcements and check our event calendar regularly! bkk UNZINE is delighted to showcase artwork from the incredible talent in Thailand and beyond, so send your creations to our online art magazine (submission link below) and be seen in UNZINE!
Support Sketchman Boris’ comic work here.
SHOW YOUR WORK IN bkk UNZINE!
next month’s theme is….
Accepting submissions NOW through FEBRUARY 24th
