“Hi, I’m Kong, 23 years old, still in school — and I sculpt monsters every single day.”
That’s how Kong–Sarach Khunthong, a student at the Faculty of Decorative Arts, Silpakorn University, introduces himself. He’s also the creator behind Kangwan Studio, a page where he showcases his monster sculptures — which he truly does make every day, driven by pure passion and a constant hunger to improve his craft.
From a “resonant (kangwan)” newborn cry to a monster-making studio name
When Kong was born, his first cry was so loud and “kangwan” (‘resonant’ in Thai). That very moment became the inspiration for the name Kangwan Studio — a creative space where his wildly imaginative monster sculptures come to life.
As he grew up, young Kong dreamed of becoming an illustrator. He spent hours playing with toys at home and often found himself drawn more to villains in cartoons than the heroes. Looking back, it seems that these childhood fascinations naturally paved the way for him to become a toy designer. All he needed was the right timing and opportunity — and now, Kong feels that the moment has finally arrived. It’s his time, and he’s grabbing it with both hands.
Why “monsters”?
Kong’s first monster art toy model was called Tiny Devil. It started out as a design class assignment, and once his professor gave him the green light, Kong never looked back. It’s been nearly a year since then, but his creative fire still burns just as strong.
“My work is always kind of gross — people joke about it all the time. ‘That’s creepy!’ ‘That’s nasty!’”
The “gross” look Kong refers to is actually about freedom — the freedom that comes with creating monsters. He admits he’s afraid of criticism, and monsters offer him a safe space to express himself without limits. For Kong, sculpting monsters is a form of liberation — like running freely across an open field with no boundaries. There are no rules, no right or wrong — just pure fun and confidence.
What’s even more impressive is that Kong doesn’t even start with sketches.
“I just go with the flow. I start with a plain ball and stretch it out, shape muscles here and there until it becomes a model. Sometimes it looks like what I imagined, sometimes it doesn’t and that’s okay.”
Once the sculpt is done, he moves on to textures, which he adds generously. It’s his personal preference, and over time, all those rough surfaces, exaggerated details, and jagged textures have naturally become the signature style of Kong’s monsters.
From Bangkok Design Week to Wonder Festival
With only one week to prepare, Kong said the experience was intense, but the response? “Absolutely thrilling.” The excitement from that first showing made him want to take his work even further.
Kong shared that he’s particularly interested in the Garage Kit scene at global art toy and figure conventions like Wonder Festival. His goal? To sell “unpainted kits”, so that buyers can paint the models themselves in their own style.
“I don’t want to limit other people’s creativity,” he said.
Thailand’s Art Toy Scene – Thriving and Highly Competitive
When asked about his thoughts on the Thai art toy scene, Kong admitted that it’s become much more vibrant in recent years, especially with the rise of big brands like Pop Mart, which have made art toys more accessible to the general public.
These days, anyone can become an art toy artist, and Kong thinks that’s a good thing. But it also means the competition is tougher than ever. He feels the need to “stand out” from other creators in the market — a double-edged sword, as he puts it.
Still, he embraces it, saying that the more competitive the scene becomes, the more it will grow.
Before We Go — A Little Sales Pitch!
Before wrapping up the interview, we asked Kong to share a bit about his current work. We’re pretty sure there are monster fans out there (especially Kaiju lovers) eagerly waiting to get their hands on his creations!
He introduced his latest, yet-to-be-named project: “The Bug Gang” — a colorful crew of bizarre, mutant insects he’s been secretly working on. He also mentioned an older favorite, “Patrick”, a creepy-looking starfish monster that — upon second glance — makes perfect sense. Of course! The name comes from that cartoon starfish we all know.
Finally, Kong laughed and added:
“Honestly, it’s not just those two. I’m selling everything!”
