TEXT & PHOTO: AMO KANNIKA
(For Thai, press here)
The Beginning of My Sketchbook is a self-published artbook by Thai illustrator Amo Kannika. The book captures her transition from working exclusively in digital painting to embracing the tactile world of sketchbooks during her MA studies in the UK. It documents a personal journey of discovery, experimentation, and resilience, blending everyday observations, cultural reflections, and artistic playfulness.
Each spread reveals Amo’s fascination with process — the layering of watercolor, gouache, watercolored pencils, oil pastel and other, all applied freely and without the pressure of perfection.
Published in a limited edition of 100 copies, the book quickly attracted both local and international attention. It has been stocked at Bookmoby, Bangkok Art & Culture Centre (BACC). The project also extends into sketchbook workshops for art lovers, with plans to share this practice with underprivileged youth.
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Amo Kannika (b. Thailand) is an illustrator and visual artist whose work explores the richness of Asian cultural identity and its connection to global storytelling. She’s been a freelancing visual development artist for the animation industry for a decade. She holds an MA in Children’s Books and Graphic Novels from Middlesex University, London, where she developed her practice in sketchbook art and visual narratives.
Her work has been exhibited internationally, including at Lightbox, Los Angeles (2023), and featured in major media outlets such as Bangkok Post, Sina.com, and Bilibili.com. Beyond publishing, Amo’s practice extends into teaching and community engagement, including sketchbook workshops for both children and adults in Bangkok.
She is currently preparing her second artbook, Sketchbook Journey, while developing a children’s book project with Centro de Educação Oristone Cultural in Macau.