Termrak Chaiyawat is a digital artist working in games and animation, known for creating immersive environments, designing mechanics, and developing tools in-engine to streamline workflows. Introduced to Unreal Engine and Blender during her last year of undergrad, her digital art journey took off, bringing technical skills together with creative world-building. Through real-time simulations and conceptual storytelling, Termrak delivers complex, interactive experiences for players.

From a young age, Termrak loved making art but didn’t see it as a career until realizing it was more of a lifestyle. Now, she uses storytelling and world-building to celebrate diversity and tackle real-world topics through the lens of fiction and sci-fi. Inspired by productions like Star Trek and Dune, she explores cultural themes through science fiction, knowing that it’s not only futuristic visuals, but a way to address hard-to-discuss topics in a fresh, intense way.

We asked Termrak about her art, creative process, and inspirations.

Can you tell us about your background as a digital artist? How did you get started in this field?

In my last year of undergrad, I was introduced to Unreal Engine and Blender —that's where my digital art journey really kicked off.

I've loved making art since I was young, but I never saw it as a career. Over time, I realized creating art is more of a lifestyle than a job. Everything I consume — experiences, media, conversations — they all get intertwined and expressed through the art I create.

What inspires your art? Are there any particular themes or subjects you enjoy exploring through your artwork?

I'm drawn to celebrating diversity through storytelling and world-building. I love telling untold stories in a way that feels both fresh and intense. Fiction and sci-fi allow me to explore boundaries and talk about harder topics that might not be addressed directly in the real world.

A great example of this is the conceptual production behind Star Trek and Dune. Both films explore the idea of the impossible, and that's always fascinated me. I like diving into cultural themes and using sci-fi to expand the imagination. I grew up loving sci-fi, but now I realize it’s not just about the futuristic visuals; it’s about how fiction tackles real-world challenges.

Can you tell us about your most recent exploration game, Into the Wall?

Into the Wall is set in Thailand, and the story is told through a mural that surrounds an old temple. The mural shows the city’s history, from the fantasy of the first family to the present, but it starts to disappear due to climate change and air pollution.

As players explore the mural, they uncover historical snippets mixed with fantasy and collect artifacts to blow away the smog and save the city.

Can you walk us through your creative process when designing a new 3D world?

Creating stunning visuals while optimizing the production process is always my goal. I invest a lot of time in building a strong pipeline and exploring new tools to make everything as efficient as possible.

I usually start with 3D scans and quickly block out the scene while working on the look development simultaneously. Scanning speeds up the scene-building process, allowing me to focus more on the artistic details.

Once the base is in place, I move into remodeling and creating high-poly structures while developing a painterly style in the lower-poly areas. Pushing the technical side of things is always the most fun part of the process for me. After achieving the look I want, I finalize everything and move into production mode.

On the conceptual side, I usually begin with something relatable, often grounded in strong cultural reference points. From there, I dive into deeper research — whether it's visual, story-based, scientific, or historical. I focus on a single topic and explore it thoroughly, finding new ideas to blend together into something unique.

Have there been any surprising or memorable responses to your work?

One of the most memorable moments was on a recent flight home. I had just wrapped up helping set up the Sorn-Lai exhibition, and I was sketching on my iPad — just a quick, serious sketch, nothing too fancy.

The guy next to me glanced over and said, “I don’t know if anyone’s told you this before, but your work is f***ing amazing.” We started talking, and he ended up offering to sponsor part of my next exhibition! It was so motivating because I wasn’t in ‘show mode.’ I was just chilling, but someone still connected with my work. That really encouraged me to keep pushing for higher-quality work and publishing more of it.

What is a dream project you’d like to make one day?

I want to create a game that builds a community around it — where players love it so much that it evolves beyond being just a digital experience. I imagine it expanding into fiction or physical games, and then people start making mods. Over time, the whole world-building grows, turning into something much bigger — a community that’s invested in the story and world, creating together.

What else fills your time when you’re not creating art?

I love building miniatures while watching good movies. There’s something special about seeing the art I’ve created physically come to life, only for it to be digitized and reimagined in another world. Plus, working on miniatures is an escape for me — it pulls me into the zone where I can fully immerse myself in the process.

What’s a fun fact about you?

My guilty pleasure TV series is Suits, and my lifelong dream is to be like Donna. The show focuses on Harvey Specter and Mike Ross, a top lawyer duo, but Donna, Harvey’s secretary, is the one who mesmerizes me. She makes things happen in ways no one else can. I see myself as the Watson to a Sherlock Holmes — an essential part of a team that creates something incredible. There’s actually an episode on the Imaginary Worlds podcast that talks about Watson, and it really spoke to me.

As I mentioned earlier, being an artist isn’t just a career — it’s a lifestyle. I can create on my own, but with the right collaboration and teamwork, I believe I can be an important part of a team that creates amazing work.