Roar and Fade Away by Kenji Chai. 2017.
Born in the town of Sandakan, Sabah, Kenji Chai (alias Black Fryday) is one of the most prominent figures in Malaysian pop culture today. Chai, a visual artist whose main medium is graffiti, creates visually graphic characters and scenes with vibrant, violent colouration. He discovered graffiti in 2008, post-graphic design school, and has expressed that graffiti fills a void that he feels graphic design cannot.
Chai’s work can also be recognised through the placement of his alter ego, a turquoise dog named Chaigo or Doggy Chai. In the process of creating each piece, Chai seeks to infuse elements of pop culture, layering the images with a sense of mischief and positivity. His inclination towards the “cute” and “comedic” serves to counter the often negative perception and emotional connotations of street art. Through his work, Chai hopes to deliver energy and happiness.
Roar and Fade Away are part of #3890tigers, a 2017 social media campaign organised by Tiger Beer. The company commissioned six artists to raise awareness for the 3890 remaining tigers facing extinction. In addition to donating $1 million to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to support the preservation of the tiger population, Tiger Beer launched a six-year global partnership with the WWF to raise awareness around the illegal tiger trade.
Images courtesy of Kenji Chai.
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