It’s no secret that Thailand’s birth rate is sharply declining. In 2024, the Mahidol University’s Institute for Population and Social Research recorded 462,240 births and 571,646 deaths.

Officials have been panicking over the falling birth rate. In 2023, Thailand’s public health ministry launched the “Give Birth, Great World” campaign, hoping to convince young couples of the perks of having children.

But are young Thais buying into these efforts? One young artist, Parnvarin Worasittanon, who goes by the name Lynny Blackbunny is raising questions about the pressure on young people, particularly women, to have children, in her work. Lynny, 31, a self-taught oil painter based in Bangkok, has an upcoming debut exhibition titled ‘Invisible Chain,’ which seeks to dissect the “chains” embedded quietly, yet pervasively within society, through paintings that reflect the societal pressures, gender roles, and structures entrenched throughout our lives. The exhibition is inspired by Lynny’s experiences as a former corporate employee facing societal pressures. Some of the pressures explored are the expectations to marry and have children, especially for women.

Lynny’s work that perhaps questions these expectations most provocatively is a painting titled ‘Pregnant.’ The painting features a mannequin with a bright pink faux pregnancy belly attached to it. In a statement on the piece, Lynny says that she and her neighbors played with Barbie dolls as children, and would pretend that their dolls were pregnant, stuffing cloth under their clothes, and then bringing baby barbies out from under the dolls’ skirts. 

‘Pregnant,’ oil painting by Lynny Blackbunny, photo provided by the artist.

“These were all images from Thai dramas, movies, and all the media we watched when we were kids, which were played over and over until they became images we unknowingly remembered. When we grew up, we started to question what women had to carry,” Lynny wrote in a statement about the piece.

Her statement noted that many people are going childless, not by choice, but due to economic hardships. She also notes that not everyone wants to be a mom or a dad, and that many people are questioning preconceived notions of family, work, and success. Success, she writes, is no longer tied to owning a home, having children, or climbing the career ladder. She says the decline in birth rates in many countries reflects social and economic changes, as well as changing values and lifestyles.

Although Lynny’s artwork interrogates traditional markers of success, she said she does not believe that getting married, owning a home, and having a family are bad things. She added that she may want to have children one day, though not today. Lynny said she wants to encourage people to think about what they really want, whether that’s a family, or other forms of success.

She told Prachatai English, “For me, success means living with awareness of my own limits within the social system.” She said, “It’s about finding joy within those boundaries, while taking care of our mind and body.”

Lynny’s painting ‘Pls Help’ features a wedding cake with a heart-shaped, pink rimmed mirror on top. In the mirror and on the sides of the cake are outstretched hands with water running down them. A large pink thumb and index finger hold the mirror in place at the top. When asked what had inspired this painting, Lynny said that the idea of building the perfect family is a mission that many aspire to, yet some people seek to escape from it. 

‘Pls Help,’ an oil painting by Lynny Blackbunny, photo provided by the artist.

“This painting may not specifically point to any particular gender, but for women, the decision to build a 'perfect family' often means sacrificing their physical and mental well-being,” she said. “Some may even have to give up their careers, and some simply aren’t ready to make that trade.”

A painting with similar themes is ‘Romance Road.’ In this painting, a giant finger holds a sparkling diamond engagement ring. Below the finger, a headless figure dressed in a black shirt, trousers, and shoes, points a gun up towards the ring. This painting was also inspired by the pressures of traditional norms. Lynny said, “This escape from traditional norms may be a sign of liberation in one form.”

‘Romance Road,’ an oil painting by Lynny Blackbunny, photo provided by the artist.

Lynny’s work ‘Between Us’ shows a blue hand gripping the ankle of a pink foot with red nail polish on the toenails. The blue hand appears to be gripping tightly, as its veins are protruding. This work, Lynny said, reflects ongoing gender roles and divisions in today’s world. She said that although there has been progress in some areas, in some parts of the world, women’s rights are still diminished, and women face violence due to the roles society has imposed upon them.

‘Between Us,’ an oil painting by Lynny Blackbunny, photo provided by the artist.

The artist adds that in Thailand, conditions may be more open for women, particularly in large cities where more women have leadership roles now. However, she says this doesn’t mean that the situation is equal across the country.

“Domestic violence is still commonly reported in the news. Many women stay in harmful situations because of the pressure to maintain the image of a ‘perfect’ family,” Lynny said. “For women in abusive relationships, demanding child support can be especially difficult.”

The hands and fingers are a common theme in nearly all of Lynny’s works in the exhibition. Lynny says that they might symbolize society or social systems, and in some paintings, viewers might see them as gender-related. However, she said, “I like letting people see it in their own way.”

Lynny’s decision to leave corporate marketing for art was also a way of breaking free from societal pressures. She said that meeting someone passionate about art reminded her of how she had dreamed of being an artist as a kid. However, bad experiences with tutors, the high cost of materials, and, she says, perhaps a lack of confidence turned her away from art. She went into corporate marketing and ended up overworking herself in the race to make money.

“I worked so hard I ended up with a curved spine and felt life had no meaning, so I quit my job to start as an artist. It was tough, and still is, but now life feels more meaningful,” she said.

The opening reception of ‘Invisible Chain’ will take place on Saturday 17 May, on the fourth floor of Palette Artspace in Thong Lo, Bangkok, from 17:00 to 21:00. The exhibition will last through June 17.