Patcharapol Tangruen, aka Alex Face, is one of Bangkok’s most prominent street artists. His interest in architecture led Alex Face to explore and wander the streets and alleys of Bangkok for abandoned buildings where he eventually started developing his street art. His iconic character Mardi, a quizzical smoking baby who looks wise beyond his years – was inspired by his two-year-old child. 

The baby idea was inspired by the birth of his daughter. “The first time I saw her she looked angry or worried” he said. It made him why she looked like that, causing him to reflect on the life she had ahead.   Ultimately this world changing personal event had caused AlexFace consider the future and in particular to take stock of the changes happening in his own country, the country in which she would grow up. “I got the idea that maybe I should paint something to warn the people about what the future could be” he said.