Some artists chase one big moment. Techin Khurukitwanit, however, has spent the last decade building something slower and sturdier. He paints, illustrates, designs, curates, and teaches. He does it all with a clear belief that art should belong to the people around it. As he puts it, everything that happens will always lead you back to doing what you love.
His portfolio moves across music, fashion, sport, and community life. For example, he created cover art for KayCyy, the rapper known for his work on Kanye West’s Donda. He also shaped the full visual campaign for the TW2052 EP, a release backed by Columbia Records. In addition, he painted three original covers for the Peter un single “My Favorite Drug” on Red Bull Records. Meanwhile, AAP Ferg personally commissioned him to create a digital painting for the Sewer Sounds label. Around the same period, Techin designed the front and back covers for Feline Season, the debut album by Antha Pantha.
Still, his most personal work happens closer to home. Uptown, he became the lead designer behind Mikey Phelps and Hood Holidayz. Together, they produced flyers, signage, and merchandise for events with Adidas Originals, The North Face, and GloGang. Later, he won the 2025 E11even Vodka bottle design contest and painted live at the launch. Then came the Ultimate Dodgeball Tournament, a series that spanned Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City with 48 teams.
Above all, Techin founded Wholesome Era, a collective built on one simple rule. There is no hierarchy, only art. The group grew from chance meetings and a lot of luck. Its second show, Sunnier Days Ahead, filled The Chocolate Factory in Bushwick with work from around 50 artists. Since then, the collective has added workshops, merchandise, and a teaching series called Art Intelligence.
Throughout his career, Techin has also accepted a lot of quiet, uncredited work. He calls it the fuel that keeps his dream running. In fact, those commissions have bought him several more years to keep creating on his own terms. That honesty about the hustle behind the art makes his story feel real and useful for other artists.
In this conversation with New York Art Life Magazine, Techin talks about sacrifice, collaboration, and the joy of drawing for friends. He also explains why his community always comes first. Finally, he shares what he plans to build next.
Beginnings and a Ten-Year Promise
New York Art Life Magazine: How would you describe your art to someone seeing it for the first time?
Techin Khurukitwanit: I usually say I make drawings and paintings that feel like home to the people who see them. My work moves between fine art and graphic design, so it shows up in many places. For example, you might see it on an album cover, a dodgeball jersey, or a dressing room wall. However, the core never changes. Everything starts with my hand on paper or a brush on a surface.
I care a lot about lines that feel human. Because of that, even my digital work keeps the wobble and texture of a hand drawing. I think people can feel when someone made something with patience. I also love it when a design carries a small story inside it, like a joke only the community will catch. That detail keeps it personal for me, even when the project belongs to a big brand. You can see much of that range on my studio website.
New York Art Life Magazine: You have said the past ten years taught you that everything leads back to what you love. What did that journey look like?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Honestly, it looked messy for a long time. I tried different paths, and some of them had nothing to do with art. Still, every detour taught me something I could bring back to the studio. For instance, jobs that felt random gave me discipline, patience, and an eye for how people actually live. Eventually, I noticed that every road kept curving back to drawing.
So I stopped fighting it. Instead, I started treating my art as the main thing, not a side hobby. That decision changed how I spent my mornings, my money, and my friendships. Of course, it also brought fear, because nothing about this life comes with a guarantee. Even so, I would rather feel scared doing what I love than feel comfortable doing something empty. Today, I can see that every hard season prepared me for the next opportunity.
Along the way, I also found my people. Friends who believed in my work gave me small jobs, honest feedback, and a reason to keep going. Without them, I probably would have quit years ago. So when I talk about doing what I love, I also mean the people who made it possible.
New York Art Life Magazine: For the past four years, you have taken on commissions and a lot of uncredited work. Why choose that path?
Techin Khurukitwanit: I chose it because it keeps the dream alive. Commissions and uncredited projects pay for paint, rent, and time. In fact, that work has extended my runway for at least three more years. Without it, I would have to step away from art much sooner.
Of course, people sometimes ask if it hurts to see my work out there without my name. Sometimes it does, a little. However, I learned to measure success differently. I ask whether the work helped someone and whether it taught me something new. Usually, the answer is yes on both counts.
Also, uncredited work trains your ego in a healthy way. You learn to serve the project instead of your reputation. Then, when you finally sign your own name, you bring all that discipline with you. Therefore, I see those years as an investment rather than a loss. Every quiet project made my hands faster and my eye sharper.
Album Covers with KayCyy and Beyond
New York Art Life Magazine: You worked as a designer on the internal creative team for KayCyy. How did that relationship shape you?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Working with KayCyy was a turning point. First, I painted the cover for “Motown,” his single with BabyTron. After that, he trusted me with the full visual campaign for the TW2052 EP. That meant the cover, the tracklist design, and the promotional assets. Later, I also drew the handwritten type for “My Jeans” and worked on merch for his 2023 Europe tour.
The biggest lesson for me was speed with intention. Music moves fast, so the visuals have to keep up. Still, KayCyy never wanted something generic. He wanted every image to feel like a world. As a result, I learned to build a whole visual system quickly while keeping it emotional.
The team also taught me how to listen. I would play a song many times before I touched a pencil. Eventually, the colors and shapes started to come from the sound itself. Later, seeing fans wear the tour merch showed me how far a simple drawing can travel.
New York Art Life Magazine: TW2052 had Columbia Records behind it. Did that scale change your process?
Techin Khurukitwanit: In some ways, yes. A major label release comes with more people, more feedback, and more deadlines. So I had to organize my files, my timelines, and my ideas much more carefully. For example, every asset needed versions for streaming platforms, social posts, and print. That kind of structure felt new to me at first.
However, the heart of the process stayed the same. I still sketched by hand, and I still asked what the music felt like. Bigger budgets do not replace a clear idea. In fact, the more people a project involves, the more a clear idea matters.
Above all, that project gave me confidence. Before it, I sometimes wondered if my style could hold up at that level. Afterward, I knew it could. That confidence carried into every project that came next, including the ones with no label at all.
Additionally, I learned how to present ideas to a room full of decision-makers. Before, I just sent images and hoped for the best. Afterward, I started to explain the thinking behind each choice. That habit made every later client conversation smoother.
New York Art Life Magazine: One of your earliest covers was “Moonlight” for Bayou in 2019. What do you remember from that project?
Techin Khurukitwanit: I remember feeling nervous and thrilled at the same time. Bayou is an Egyptian artist, and he belongs to a new wave of Arab alternative music. So the cover needed to speak to a global audience while it honored where he came from. That balance felt like a big responsibility for me back then.
I spent a long time on the mood. The song felt nocturnal and soft, so I leaned into deep blues and quiet light. Eventually, the image felt like a late-night walk under the moon. When I sent the final version, Bayou connected with it right away.
Similarly, that project taught me to research the culture around the music. I listened to other artists from the same scene and studied their visual language. That research helped me avoid clichés. As a result, the final cover felt fresh and respectful.
Looking back, that project taught me something simple. Good cover art does not explain the song. Instead, it opens a door so the listener wants to walk inside. I still use that idea today whenever I start a new cover.
Painting for Red Bull Records and Sewer Sounds
New York Art Life Magazine: For “My Favorite Drug” by Peter $un, you hand-painted three original covers. Why paint rather than design digitally?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Peter $un has a very experimental sound, so a clean digital look felt wrong. I wanted the covers to carry texture, mistakes, and energy. Therefore, I went back to real paint on real surfaces. Painting gives you accidents that a screen cannot copy.
Also, three covers gave me room to tell a small story. Each painting showed a different side of the same feeling. Together, they worked almost like frames from a film. Red Bull Records distributed the single worldwide, and I loved knowing that physical paintings now lived on phones everywhere.
Honestly, that project reminded me why I fell in love with painting. Sometimes commercial work pushes you toward speed and screens. However, when a client trusts you to slow down, the work gets deeper. I try to protect that slowness whenever I can, even on tight timelines.
Afterward, I kept the original paintings in my studio for a while. Seeing them on the wall every morning reminded me that commercial art can still be real art. In fact, those three canvases still push me to take more risks with color.
New York Art Life Magazine: AAP Ferg personally commissioned a digital painting from you for Sewer Sounds. You also designed the debut album for Antha Pantha. What did that world teach you?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Ferg and the Sewer Sounds family showed me how much Harlem shapes culture. For the digital painting, I portrayed Ferg alongside the artists on his label. I wanted it to feel like a family portrait with real swagger. When Ferg approved it, I felt proud because he understands visual culture deeply.
Before that, I worked on Feline Season, Antha Pantha’s debut album. I designed the front cover, the back cover, and the merchandise. Then I drew the cover for her single “Brick By Brick” with HUNTDAWGG. Throughout the process, Antha gave me so much personality to work with. She is bold and playful, so the visuals had to match that spirit.
Most importantly, that world taught me to respect the artist’s voice first. My style matters, but their story matters more. Therefore, I treat every cover as a collaboration rather than a showcase for myself. That mindset also makes the artists trust me with their next project.
Uptown Energy with Mikey Phelps and Adidas Originals
New York Art Life Magazine: You became the lead designer for many Hood Holidayz community events with Mikey Phelps. How did that partnership start?
Techin Khurukitwanit: It started with a flyer. Mikey and Tweek Tune needed visuals for Lite Feet Day, a celebration of the Harlem dance style. I drew the flyer and the merch, and the community responded with real love. After that, Mikey kept calling, and the projects kept growing.
Soon, we were working with Adidas Originals on a free swimming lesson for the neighborhood. Then we did a bike ride with The North Face. Later, we did a GloGang collaboration and a calisthenics challenge with Xtramoney, The Sharks, and Orcas Army. Each event had its own personality, so each design needed a new voice.
Along with Mikey, Tweek Tune became an important collaborator too. I have designed logos, apparel, and flyers for many of his projects. Because he produces music for major artists, he understands how sound and image work together. Our conversations always leave me with new ideas.
Meanwhile, Mikey taught me how much design can do for a community. A good flyer brings people outside. In turn, those people create memories that last for years. That feeling motivates me more than any paycheck. Even now, I treat a neighborhood flyer with the same care as an album cover.
New York Art Life Magazine: The dodgeball tournaments became huge. What was it like to design the 2025 Ultimate Dodgeball Tournament?
Techin Khurukitwanit: It was the biggest community project I have ever designed. The 2024 dodgeball series with Adidas Originals already felt special. However, the 2025 version grew into three cities: Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City. In total, 48 teams from different communities played.
I designed the flyers, promo graphics, signage, and merchandise for all three tournaments. Because each city has its own flavor, I wanted small details that felt local. At the same time, the whole series needed one clear identity. Balancing those two goals took a lot of sketches. Meanwhile, the Atlanta and Los Angeles teams brought their own style and pride. I loved seeing how each crowd made the designs their own.
The New York tournament happened at the Chelsea Piers Field House. Walking in and seeing my graphics on shirts and walls felt unreal. Also, watching strangers become teammates reminded me why these events matter. Sport and art both give people a reason to show up for each other.
New York Art Life Magazine: You won the 2025 E11even Vodka bottle design contest and painted live at the launch. How did that feel?
Techin Khurukitwanit: It felt like a full circle moment. I designed the bottle for Mikey Phelps, and I honestly did not expect to win. When the news came, I celebrated with my friends the whole night. Then reality set in, because I also had to paint live at the launch.
The event took place at Seminole Casino Coconut Creek. Painting in front of a crowd feels very different from painting in the studio. In the studio, you can hide your mistakes. On stage, however, everyone watches each one happen. So I had to stay calm and trust my hands.
Eventually, the crowd stopped feeling scary and started feeling like energy. People asked questions, took videos, and cheered when the piece came together. That night changed how I think about performance. Now, I see live painting as another way to invite people into the process.
Afterward, the bottle itself became a small trophy for me. Whenever I see it, I remember that a contest entry from my desk ended up on shelves. So I tell other artists to enter competitions, even when the odds feel impossible.
Building Wholesome Era
New York Art Life Magazine: You founded Wholesome Era through what you call serendipity and a lot of luck. How did the collective come together?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Honestly, it felt like the universe set it up. I met each member in a different way, at shows, through friends, or by pure chance. Over time, we noticed that we all wanted the same thing. We wanted a creative culture with no hierarchy, only art.
Before that, I led Polaris, my solo exhibition in the Bowery in 2022. I made the work and also shaped the curation and the layout. That show taught me how much effort goes into a space. But it also showed me I didn’t want to do it alone forever. So in March 2024, we launched the first Wholesome Era show with nine artists.
From the start, everyone carried equal weight. Nobody acted like the boss, and nobody thought they were above anyone else. Instead, we shared tasks based on what each person loved to do. That structure still guides us today.
Now, our crew includes painters, designers, and makers who work across many mediums and cultures. Because everyone brings something different, our shows never look the same twice. That variety keeps us curious, and it keeps the audience curious too.
New York Art Life Magazine: Wholesome Era 2: Sunnier Days Ahead brought together around 50 artists and more than 200 works at The Chocolate Factory. How did you pull that off?
Techin Khurukitwanit: We pulled it off with a lot of coffee and a lot of friends. The Chocolate Factory sits at 99 Scott Avenue in Bushwick, and we hosted one of the first art shows there. So we had a big empty space and a big responsibility. We wanted every artist to feel seen, not squeezed into a corner.
First, we planned the layout room by room. Then we grouped the work by mood rather than by medium. That way, a painting could sit beside a sculpture or a photo and start a conversation. Meanwhile, the team handled artist communication, installation, and promotion together.
On opening night, the room felt alive. Families, artists, and strangers all moved through the space at their own pace. Afterward, many people told us they had never felt so welcome at an art show. That comment meant everything, because welcome is exactly what we set out to build.
Of course, the work did not stop after opening night. We packed, returned pieces, and thanked every artist one by one. Then we sat together and talked about what we could do better. That honest review has shaped every show we have produced since.
New York Art Life Magazine: Wholesome Era has grown into workshops, merchandise, and the Art Intelligence series. Why expand into teaching?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Because art should not feel locked behind a door. Many people want to make art, yet they never get a chance to learn. So in late 2025, we launched Art Intelligence, a three-part series in New York City. We taught painting, drawing, and screen printing to anyone who wanted to join.
I served as creative director and teaching artist. That meant I wrote the curriculum, designed the exhibition, and taught hands-on. Watching a beginner pull a first screen print is pure joy. Their face changes, and suddenly they see themselves as an artist.
Then, in January 2026, we presented WE3, our fourth major show. It mixed work from core members with pieces from Art Intelligence participants. Hanging those works side by side felt like the clearest statement of our mission. Our WE2 merchandise collection also helps fund this work and carries our visual language beyond the gallery.
Archive, Screens, and What Comes Next
New York Art Life Magazine: Your work also reaches retail and personal spaces, from Archive New York to a tattoo for Jalen Duren. How do you adapt to such different formats?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Every format asks a different question. For Archive New York, the vintage store at 149 Essex Street, the question was about atmosphere. I designed the logo, the vinyl signage, and the fitting room graphics. Because shoppers spend private moments in those dressing rooms, I wanted the art to feel playful and warm.
A tattoo asks a completely different question. In 2021, I designed custom tattoo artwork for NBA center Jalen Duren. Since a tattoo lives on the body forever, every line has to earn its place. So I simplified more than usual and focused on meaning.
Music videos bring yet another challenge. On “Sins” by Kanii, I designed the title card and credits. I also helped with lighting as a gaffer and even acted on screen. Similarly, for “Wannabe,” the debut single by BLK PRL, I created the cover and promo visuals. Each format stretches me, and that stretch keeps me growing.
Across all these formats, one rule stays the same. I study the space, the person, or the story before I draw anything. Then I let that research guide every decision. As a result, the work fits its home instead of fighting it.
New York Art Life Magazine: You recently worked on a Dazed MENA issue with A$AP Ferg. What comes next, and what advice would you give other artists?
Techin Khurukitwanit: Next, I want to grow Wholesome Era into a lasting home for artists in New York and beyond. I also want to paint more personal work and show it in bigger rooms. Recently, I worked as a production assistant on a Dazed MENA issue featuring A$AP Ferg. That experience showed me how editorial teams build images globally. Similarly, a mention in The Daily Trojan reminded me that the work travels farther than I expect.
As for advice, keep making things, even when nobody claps. Also, say yes to your community, because your community will say yes to you later. Most of my biggest opportunities started with a small flyer for a friend. Beyond that, learn the business side early. Keep track of your files, your invoices, and your contracts. Even small habits like that protect your energy for the actual art.
Finally, protect your love for the work. Money, credit, and attention will come and go. However, the love is what brings you back every single time. That lesson took me ten years to learn, and I hope it takes you less.
