For this month’s Art Works we heard from Notts-based Thai artist Mallika Fraser, whose work is currently being shown in the New Art Exchange Open Exhibition.
This piece is called The Chilling Chillies which came about while I was making crushed chillies for sun-dried chillies – lots of red chillies chilling on the tray under the British summer sun!
My process for creating work can vary but generally I jot down any ideas when they come to me in small sketchbooks, or scraps of paper which I collect together. I then marinate these ideas to see which of them rise to the surface and have the potential to develop further. I usually get started with initial sketches by hand, and then scan these to start working on the colours and details on the ipad. I love mixing traditional illustration with something graphic-y, either through collage or layering to create interesting textures or patterns.
I was born in Bangkok, Thailand and moved to the UK in 2019. I lived in Lincoln first and travelled to many places in the UK. I visited Nottingham quite a few times and really liked the place – the art scene, restaurants and events throughout the year. I decided to move to Nottingham with my husband in 2024. I studied animation at university and since graduating I have worked as a graphic designer, UI designer, and art director while also working on my own projects.
I like to research a wide range of styles and disciplines. There are many artists who inspire me but just to name a few; Yayoi Kusama, David Hockney, and Grayson Perry.
I grew up surrounded by amazing cooks. My Grandma was always in the kitchen making curry paste from scratch
Since I was young, I have enjoyed creating silly doodles and portraits and my recent works have focused on the topics that I love, one of which is food. I grew up surrounded by amazing cooks. My Grandma was always in the kitchen making curry paste from scratch and my mother cooked simple dishes with just two or three ingredients. I started cooking more since moving to the UK – I find the process of cooking therapeutic as making art.
I have a piece of work in the NAE Open 2026 called Garuda of Fire, which is a fictitious Sriracha sauce brand that I came up with. The work recasts the Garuda, a mythological bird from Asian folklore, as the fiery spirit of Sriracha hot sauce. It merges traditional Southeast Asian iconography with pop art aesthetics, celebrating the heat (literally and figuratively) that immigrant foods bring to new places.
I do art fairs throughout the year and will have new prints coming out later this year, so check out my Instagram. It’s really nice to meet people and hear what they connect with in my artwork. I also have an online shop selling some of my prints: mallika.gallery.
I’m really thankful for all the support I have received locally and I am so happy to call Nottingham home.
Check out the work of Mallika and many other artists at the New Art Exchange Open Exhibition, showing until 12 September.
We have a favour to ask
LeftLion is Nottingham’s meeting point for information about what’s going on in our city, from the established organisations to the grassroots. We want to keep what we do free to all to access, but increasingly we are relying on revenue from our readers to continue. Can you spare a few quid each month to support us?
