Arcade of Dreams

Chim Chim’s In Residence art program

With ʻArcade of Dreamsʼ, Pomme Chan brings her adventurous spirit to Chim Chim. Inspired by Chim Chimʼs bright and bold persona, she and her creative team at Happy People Studio use the clean interior as an unorthodox canvas to reimagine the venue as a nostalgic playground.

“Chim Chim has given us the freedom to do anything we want, so our creative juices can flow with no limitation. When we were thinking about this exhibition, I remembered this song called “Puen Thi Lek Lek (Small Space)” by Thai artist Boy Trai Bhumiratna released in 2006. I was nearly crying. This song inspired me to create a small space where we could go back to that time. I believe Iʼm not the only one feeling nostalgic about these simpler times with less chaos and technology when we would watch the sunset without having to take a selfie.”

(Text: From Chim Chim’s Team)

Invitation Set and Merchandise

Key Visual Design

Pattern Design

Canvas Painting

Memory Marbles

“Watching the movie Inside Out, you see that our core memories are kept in marble balls. Each ball has a different colour depending on the type of memory it contains. Of course, growing up we would play with marbles as a toy, so Iʼve used that as inspiration.”

Hen Ngao Nai Ta Chun Mai (White)
and
Hen Tur Yoo Nai Nun Mai (Red)

“These glasses represent my memories of going to the sea with my family. My dad never swam. He just sat on the beach, so his glasses reflect the sea. My mom was a chic lady, a flight attendant, so her glasses have a cat-eye shape with patterns that reflect her kindness, cheerfulness, and happiness.”

Sob Ta (Eye Contact)

“Round glasses remind me of iconic figures like Willy Wonka or John Lennon. A lot of people consider my art to be quite feminine, but when I think of the characters who wear these round glasses, I think of more masculine or unisex vibes.”

Bubble Gum

“Here I play around with free-form combinations. I was wondering, why do canvas art pieces always have to be square only? Canʼt they come in other forms? I wanted to let people play with the art - they can arrange it however they like.”

Smiley

“There was a time in 2021 when there were many troubles in my life. So I wanted to create some works that would make me happy whenever I saw them. It’s my way of healing and escape.”

Cotton Candy

“It doesnʼt gets more nostalgic than cotton candy. I love the way it was created from just a simple stick into what looks like a balloon. I used an interference technique that helps to create textures and layers of iridescent colour.”

Kanom Chan

“I love Kanom Chan (Thai steamed coconut and pandan cake). As a kid, I would run after a dessert cart vendor just to have some. This artwork is one I created on canvas using a high-flow colour technique to highlight the many layers.”

Installation Views