Riverbank Graffiti Art- Part 2

Well what a coincidence. A day after I posted on the graffiti art along the Klang River banks, what do you know The Star paper featured the guys responsible in this article.

Friday February 22, 2008

There’s beauty in graffiti

By GRACE CHEN

TWO artists who call themselves The Super Sunday take graffiti art to new heights with displays of their work along the Klang riverbank and other public places. Zulkifli Salleh, 24, aka Kioue (pronounced as ‘Kayu’) and Sharane Mat Zaini, 31, aka Tha-B, have no qualms about calling themselves vandals. Armed with aerosol spray cans and donning face masks, they often strike by night and by morn their handiwork is ready for public view.

Strange artists: Kioue (left) and Tha-B of The Super Sunday with their art tools - aerosol spray paint and face masks.

“The one thing that is so challenging about grafitti art is the fear of getting caught,” said Zulkifli, a native of Batu Pahat, Johor, who started doing graffiti in year 2000. Not that they have not had a run in with the law before but he had recalled that they were promptly let off once the police officers saw their work. “In Malaysia, graffiti art is still considered a new movement and we see it as our responsibility to educate the public on what it’s about.” The artist added that unlike the early writers who sprayed offensive words on private property and forced building owners to incur expenses when they had to paint the walls over, we hope that these same people will look at our work and see it as a way of decorating a bare wall. To date, Sharane’s and Zulkifli’s work can be seen along the bank walls of the Klang river, car parks and the inside of public toilets. Some of their notable pieces have included Sharane’s life-size depiction of Transformers character, ‘Optimus Prime’ and a collaborative mural by the duo depicting Kuala Lumpur’s skyline and the LRT system. More of their works are also available at an exhibition at the Annexe building in Central Market from Feb 23 to March 9.

IIn public eye: Art by other graffiti artists along the riverbank as seen from the Klang bus stand.

Nevertheless, these ‘vandals’ are not merely exercising their right for free artistic expression. A business collaboration formed in March 2007 has seen the duo offering mural and graffiti painting, in addition to T-shirt printing and design and break-dance performances for private functions. To date, The Super Sunday has elicited favourable responses from karaoke lounge Matrix Eagle Jukebox, the Cineleisure cinema, Melia Hotel and The School Club, an entertainment outlet in Bangsar Village. They are also in the 2007 Malaysia Book of Records for the longest graffiti in Universiti Malaya.

Touch of colour: Super Sunday’s contribution to the riverbank walls.

In a further attempt to popularise graffiti art, the duo have organised workshops and demos for aspiring artists at Rakan Muda events. “Just like painting on canvas, all the fundamentals of art applies to graffiti. You have to be aware of the basics like form, concept and colour. And because the medium of transfer involves aerosol spray paint, you have to master the basics like nozzle control, pressure and graffiti styles,” said Sharene. Ironically, the workshops are also a platform to advice young artists against vandalism. “If it’s a self-initiated free project, always be very, very selective about location. Zulkifli, for example, did his first work in Batu Pahat in an abandoned house where the roof had fallen in. “And always look out for quality besides staying away from propaganda. You want the public to see your work as a beautification project and not as a mess where it becomes an eyesore,” he added.

The Super Sunday Concept Store is at 4, Monorail Station Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 55100, Kuala Lumpur. For details, call 019-3768735 or 016-9471541.