Behind The Graffiti: Kenji Chai On His Collab With CLEO for Skechers Malaysia

Lina Esa • April 28, 2018

If you have ever driven the roads of Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya (or have just been out the house at all!) you would have noticed urban art is at its zenith. Specifically speaking, graffiti (and one of a certain kind) has become a readily-accepted art form and not seem as mere vandalism. And if you didn’t already know it, graffiti is more than just gathering a bunch of spray cans and spritzing it on walls. It takes time, patience, dedication, planning and a whole boatload of talent. (Do you know how hard it is to draw a smooth line with a spray can nozzle? Impossibru!)

For the CLEOxSkechers campaign, renowned artist Kenji Chai was chosen to take the lead and make his graffiti magic that represented the CLEO girl and the cool new Skechers DLT-A collection that are one of the hottest kicks to own this season.

If you’re ever curious to see how graffiti comes together, here’s CLEO’s look behind the wall. The venue was courtesy of Publika (the only mall that truly celebrates individuality, art and expression, you guys rock, Publika!) so let this timelapse transport you:

We took the liberty to give you five minutes to speak to the master graffiti artist himself, Kenji Chai about this collab. Swipe through also for a refresher on what happened during this campaign, and our top Kenji Chai artwork picks that we’d snap and put as our homescreen saver.

Prev1 of 3Next

Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse

The Interview

CLEO: How did you feel when you were approached for this project?

Kenji Chai: I was excited about this collab… Because CLEO is different from what I’ve ever done and the new [DLT-A] collection from Skechers looked super cool. I feel like [Skechers] truly has their own style in executing their shoes and this collection.

________________________________________

CLEO: How did you come up with the sketch for the CLEOxSkechers wall?

Kenji Chai: It’s basically the combined element in between the Skechers DLT-A and the illustrated patches I’ve seen in CLEO magazine. It represents “Play the Attitude” and its vibrant bright colors gives off some positive vibes.

________________________________________

CLEO: How about the girl in the artwork?
Kenji Chai: She’s the cool Skechers/CLEO girl, where the shoes fits into her lifestyle.

________________________________________

CLEO: Why do you think people would be excited about the campaign?
Kenji Chai: They get to win cool stuff. So why not?

________________________________________

CLEO: Tell us a bit about your signature dog in your graffiti artworks.
Kenji Chai: Oh. The signature dog is actually a stray dog and then, his name is called Chaigo. Chaigo means, well, “Chai” is my surname and “Go” is dog in Cantonese. Why stray dogs? Well to me stray dogs show they’re independent, strong… And they can manage themselves well.

Prev1 of 3Next

Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse

CLEO would like to thank Skechers, Kenji and Publika for making this collaboration a possibility.