Kenji Chai is a Malaysian-born artist who has made his name in the global art scene. Known for his colorful depiction of mischief and pop artwork, Kenji’s works are well distinguished by his followers.
Background of Kenji Chai
Based in Kuala Lumpur, Kenji was born and raised in Sandakan in the East Malaysian state of Sabah. He is known as a street artist whose work can be seen in many major landmarks across the country.
From an early age, Kenji indulged in the worlds of imagination as he immersed himself in storybooks, comics and cartoons. This would form the basis of his works today which are often vibrant and ‘mischievous’.
He combines a lot of pop culture and graffiti art into his works, delivering positive vibes and undercurrents which are very much desired today.
In fact, a lot of his work comes with a pinch of humor, prompting the viewer to appreciate them with a light-headed approach.
Kenji’s approach to his works
While Kenji’s influence started from a young age, it was only when he was 28 that he became serious about street art.
Being a graphic designer then, he started graffiti art with a group in Kampung Attap, Kuala Lumpur and before long, he found his calling. At 30, he learned the basics of graffiti art and the rest was, as they say, history.
His works and achievements
Today, Kenji Chai is an international graffiti artist. One of his biggest achievements was being inducted into the Malaysia Book of Records for his work on a 25-storey mural at a boutique hotel.
It is common that street art often comes with certain social commentaries and this is no different with Kenji’s works.
In his recent ‘Welcome to Chaigo Land’, Kenji draws his inspiration from the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic during which humans had to stay indoors. This was a time when lives were lost and societies changed in totality.
There was a reset to wildlife and nature as if a second chance was offered.
Chaigo refers to the blue dog in this artwork which he claims to be his alter-ego. The dog appears to be smiling, exuding positive vibes in the sea of plants. He hopes that this artwork will prompt humans to be more mindful of nature.
Among the imaginary worlds that have shaped Kenji’s artwork are Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Marvel Comics and Street Fighter.
He aims to use his images to build more awareness of the extinction of wildlife and nature. As such, positivity plays an integral role.
Since then, he has worked with some of the top brands in the world including Swatch, Uniqlo, BMW, Netflix and Puma, to name a few.
Kenji’s artwork can be seen all across the globe including Kazakhstan, New York, Ulaanbaatar, Beijing, Miami, Tokyo, Singapore, Beijing and India.