Viput Asawavetvutt on design and using colours to promote good energy

“My designs provoke positive energy, and that’s how I view certain colours.” 

Being an illustrator, artist, designer, teacher, and so on is hard, but the similarities between these fields highlight the importance of colour. Colours provoke emotions and emit certain feelings; colour is essential in everyday life. Even Verner Panton would agree with that notion as he was talented, especially when choosing colours. Picking certain shades was one of his specialities besides design, and we see that with his iconic Panton Chair. 

As Verner Panton remains relevant today, his infamous design has been reproduced by Vitra in two tones. With that, Vitra has made NORSE Republics Thailand’s official distributor of the Panton Chair Duo, and NORSE arranged an exhibition for this classic piece. Some of the attendees included the famous Thai illustrator Viput Asawavetvutt. Today, Viput, aka Ang, tells us about his business and his thoughts about the Panton Chair Duo. 

Projects and colours

As Viput Asawavetvutt is a popular Thai illustrator, he has worked with big companies such as Central Embassy to display his artistic skills. His recent project was for the mall’s Valentine’s day campaign. However, Viput creates a lot of key visuals for them a lot. He is excited to travel around Southeast Asia for his newer projects this year. Viput’s signature is seen in his creation, where he aspires to have his artwork radiate his characteristics- smiling and positivity. 

The young designer sees colours as significant to his daily work. “I am very interested in colours. I even did a thesis on this topic.” He further told us that colours have a lot of charm; it’s essential daily, even in his teaching. “Colours can help us go further in life. It makes things clearer.” Although Viput said his work isn’t that vibrant, he does love to use bright colours. Yet, he balances it out with neutral tones, such as light grey, to make it easier on the eyes. 

Verner Panton and the chair

Being a design kid, Viput has seen the Panton Chair many times. The young designer even drew it and used it for work inspiration. “He has an interesting point of view, and his designs have a lot of identity.” The fact that the chair has been around since the 60s and remains relevant is astonishing. What’s even more incredible is how Vitra, who only does a few limited editions, produced one for this chair. Viput added how the contrasting colours of the Panton Chair Duo were perfectly and beautifully chosen. More than just design, the texture, technique, and how it was displayed made the exhibition enjoyable. 

As the Panton Chair is known for its organic form, designers like Viput are fearless in creating something organic. Many designers say that Verner Panton was their motivation to have the courage to produce something out of the conventional norms, and Viput agreed. He was more intrigued with colours, curves, forms, lines, and structures. The Panton Chair inspired Viput and much of his artwork to stray from what society had to say and more of what he wanted to express. Very similar to Verner Panton, it’s very unique to see a designer showcase his creativity, his uniqueness, in a design.