Mad and maximal: Laney Punarate’s expansive practice is a product of her eclectic upbringing

Laney Punarate is creative in both name and nature. Her Thai name, Seenam, means ‘watercolour’ – a fitting reflection of her artistic upbringing, chosen by parents who shaped her creative path. Her father was an art teacher, and spent 15 years working at an advertising agency. He introduced Laney to design, along with her mother, who nurtured an eclectic home stacked with Interview magazines and architecture editorials. “My parents shaped how I am today,” Laney reflects. “Since I was five, my dad would put me in an art competition every year... I only remember drawing was fun, and I loved playing with colours.”

Now a designer, art director and artist, the Portland-based creative – and the work she produces – does a lot. Maximal, confident and vivid, Laney’s multidisciplinary practice reflects her international upbringing: born in Thailand, then raised between New Zealand and Portland. Childhood Laney’s earnest, elementary approach to creativity remains. Their practice is fun, lively and irreverent, feeling unique in its artistry. “The artwork I put out in the world helped me become who I really want to be,” she says. For Laney, every project is a personal project, whether it’s a prescribed sandwich business that treats emotional hardships or a zine inspired by the Thai horror film 13 Beloved.

Laney’s emotive and tactile approach transcends into fashion, an important part of their life. “Fashion is the fastest way for people to show their art through an outfit,” says Laney, who got into it through their mother’s maximal tastes. Back in the design world, Laney channelled this passion into a t-shirt project for Wieden+Kennedy Portland. I want that on a t-shirt featured 32 designs with humorous stories from around 20 Wieden employees – each with a screen-printed punchline.

Ranging from odd to earnest, Laney’s projects are always made with an appreciative eye. “I think one thing I always keep in mind is to be grateful for things in my life and be nice to others,” Laney ends, “because it has always led me to the most adventurous path of art.”