Banana Blah Blah — Joel Chua

“Oh, she’s not here. She’s dancing.” This was the first thing I heard when I checked out Chavies’ (Or Banana Blah Blah as she’s better known online) booth during Bangkok Design Week. “What a fun girl.” I thought. Anyway, I did not want to interrupt her while she was dancing and so I thought that I’d drop her a message on Instagram instead. While chatting online, she mentioned that she was actually having another show as part of Glowfish Creators' Lab 2020 and that I should drop by and say hi. While researching the art scene in Bangkok, Glowfish came up a lot and so I decided to meet Banana Blah Blah and also check out Glowfish.

Arriving at Chong Nonsi station, it took me awhile to find the venue. Located within a nondescript office building, the place was practically deserted save for one security guard. But thanks to a trail of hipster kids I managed to find my way up. That was the first obstacle. When the elevator doors opened, I was met with a snaking line of hipster teenagers occupying almost the entire lift lobby. Not having a clue of what was going on and also not knowing a word of Thai, I did what all Singaporeans were trained to do, queue. It took me around around 30 minutes to reach the front doors only to be told the slots were full and the only other available slot was 2 hours later. Luckily, I mentioned that I was meeting Chavies and was let in. Finally.

When meeting Banana Blah Blah for the first time, one cannot help but smile while speaking to this young, spirited creative. Perhaps it was the way she carried herself or that she jokes around quite a lot. She was fun to be around and it reflected in her works.

Surveying her exhibition space, I noticed a long line of people queuing up and taking photos with her work. She joked that they were all just using her works as props for their social media photos. While funny, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad that there was a little truth in that statement. And that was essentially what Banana Blah Blah’s work was about. Reality can be harsh. But if we just tweaked our perspective a little, life can be fun too.

At the show, Chavies exhibited 8 new pieces mixed in with some existing works. The subject matter of these artworks were about life at the workplace and how we’re actually feeling while at work. These were done as a set of risographs. If you don’t know what a risograph is, this article explains risograph printing perfectly. In essence, a risograph is printed one colour at a time and is able to produce the bright neon colours seen below. It is an affordable printing technique but one that is difficult to master.

The bright colours sort of form a paradox to Banana Blah Blah’s subject matter, injecting boldness and humour into a dreary and mundane subject.

Next, Chavies showed me a zine she created called “Give Yourself a Break”, showcasing various creative ways to take a break. From taking a break from work, to taking a break from relationships. Life is hard and this book has got you covered. Chavies showed me her favourite page, pictured below. The characters are taking a vacation, but in signature Banana Blah Blah humour, they are working on their laptops instead of enjoying the beautiful beach. How many of you are guilty of this? I know my mum is!

The time I had with Banana Blah Blah was short but throughly fun. Thank you Chavies for allowing me to photograph you and sharing about your works. Give her Instagram a follow and also check out her band, Blue Yogurt. Yes. She’s a musician too. An artist through and through.

Naruemon Yimchavee (Banana Blah Blah)

Illustrator & Musician

Bangkok, Thailand