With a mission to inspire Bangkok’s creative youth and push boundaries, IWANNABANGKOK© has become a vibrant hub for innovation. We recently had a chance to speak with its co-founder.
As part of our Thai Design in Focus series, we recently caught up with Adisak Jirasakkasem, “Beam,” the co-founder of IWANNABANGKOK©, an inspiring, multifaceted brand redefining and reimagining Thai design while collaborating with artists and designers to showcase their work through various initiatives. (In fact, many of the designers featured in this series emphasized the importance of featuring the organization).
Founded with Grofe Supakorn Buaruan, the brand offers an invigorating twist on Bangkok’s identity, blending pop culture, humor, and dramatic aesthetics into head-turning designs. Beam’s philosophy challenges traditional notions of Thai design, asserting that creations by Thai designers inherently carry their cultural essence as he told us in the interview.
With a mission to inspire Bangkok’s creative youth and push boundaries, IWANNABANGKOK© has become a vibrant hub for innovation. Beyond fashion, Beam fosters artistic expression through initiatives like the O.R.G.Y Youth Expo, providing a platform for emerging talent.
In our conversation, Beam shares insights on his journey, creative philosophy, and vision for Thai design.
My creations are often inspired by pop culture and local humor. Traditional Thai design does influence me occasionally, but I don’t intentionally focus on it.
Here’s my aesthetic: if a design comes from the brain of a Thai person, then it’s already a Thai design. I try not to be stuck with an old image of what Thai design “should” be.
Thai design is a fusion of cultures. We’ve been influenced by countries around the world, but what makes it unique is how we translate and reinterpret those influences in our own way. It’s this creative adaptability that defines Thai design.
I don’t specifically do “Thai design”—I just design and create. Anything that comes out of my head is inherently Thai because of who I am. With IWANNABANGKOK©, we aim to challenge and redefine the traditional image of Bangkok.
We want to inspire young local artists to see that Bangkok can evolve into anything we imagine—it’s about pushing boundaries and just going for it. IWANNABANGKOK© adds creativity and youth power to the city.
Today, our store has become a destination for creative people, and I’m very proud of that. However, I feel like we still have so much room to grow. That’s what excites me as we move into 2025.
Thai education needs more creative teachers—real, practicing creatives who can inspire students. Unfortunately, the quality of teaching here remains underdeveloped, and the government seems to neglect this issue. It’s a systemic problem: keeping people uneducated makes them easier to control. Sad, right?
But I believe in Thai people. The system may not change overnight, but the potential of the younger generation is undeniable.
One project that stands out is the O.R.G.Y Youth Expo. O.R.G.Y stands for “Our Revolution for the Greater Youth.” We started this group exhibition in 2017 to create a platform for young artists to showcase their work.
“O.R.G.Y is very meaningful to our brand, and I hope it continues to grow and make a lasting impact.”
Although we had to pause during 2020–2023 due to COVID-19, we successfully revived it this year with the support of ATT19 Gallery, our official partner.
O.R.G.Y is very meaningful to our brand, and I hope it continues to grow and make a lasting impact.
Something symbolic of Thai design that visitors should see:
Thai Ladyboys
A designer or artist you’d love to collaborate with or have been inspired by:
I actually just discovered @coma_chayood (Chayood Ngamekudomphong) yesterday at Bangkok Illustration Fair 2024 and I found his work very unique and would love to see more from him.
Your go-to source for creative inspiration in Bangkok:
Bangkok’s Streets.
