Talat Noi Street art

Mamafaka Story

My favorite artist, Mamafaka was one of Thailand's first famous street artist also known as Pharuephon "Tum" Mukdasanit as a child he always wanted to design and paint, he created a design group called B.O.R.E.D, the group was involved in many events from the Fat Festival to Tiger Translate. He became a freelance designer in 2011, specializing in graphic design, street art and illustration. Mamafaka is also known for the fictional character he created MR.HELLYEAH!, which is a hairy one-eyed monster with a mustache. This character is influenced by magazines and cartoons he then made a mishmash of a character combined from his favorite cartoons to make MR.HELLYEAH! He also worked and collaborated with a variety of brands such as Converse, Vans, Inc., Billabong etc and made sure that his fictional character was a main base of every design. If he sounds like a funny guy, yes he was. Unfortunately he passed away due to a surfing incident when he was 34 but many people still admire him and his legacy lives on. His art is not located on the streets you’re visiting on this tour, but keep your eyes open for it when walking around neighborhoods of Bangkok.

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Alex Face Story

Street art isn’t permanent, nothing is permanent to Alex Face, the tides of time can weather down anything that it wants to. While he creates a gigantic, breathtaking mural now, it could be erased or painted over, or the wall could simply be torn down. Covid-19 also emphasized that anything and everything can change at a moment’s notice, showing him that the world as a whole is vulnerable to change. This was further shed light on when he made his pride and joy, Mardi. the baby in a bunny suit, inspired by his daughter. But when his daughter saw the painting, she looked angry or worried, making him reflect on his decisions and her life ahead. He thought, “are you not happy to be my daughter? Are you not happy to be in this world?” This world changing personal event would cause Alex to consider the future, and take stock in the changes in his home country, where his daughter would grow up in.

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Conclusion

So, did the festival achieve its goals? The answer is, yes. The region surrounding Chinatown has seen a lot more traffic over the years as more tourists come and go to see the breathtaking walls of color, bringing people to pay more attention to the Bang Rak area. Letting them see the beauty of emotions in art and the rich history of what is now Chinatown.

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