Pretty Graffiti

IT WAS an obvious question, but many may have been uncomfortable asking it. Besides, it was a great chance to rib graffiti artists Zulkifli Salleh, 24, and Sharane Mat Zaini, 31.

So I asked: "The theme of this graffiti art exhibition is supposed to be Disko Elektro. Why then are your works dominated with images of the female face? Has Cupid struck you with his arrow?"

True enough, Sharane aka Tha-B, reacts with an 'ouch', and though Zulkifli aka Kioue (pronounced as 'Kayu') maintains his composure, he had visibly turned a little pink on the cheeks.

There was a bit of denial, and noticeable nervousness, but eventually the truth comes out.

Super Sunday's Tha-B (left) and Kioue.

In Tha-B's case, the female subject entitled Kiss Me (homepage thumbnail) is a portrait of a girl he met on the interactive website MySpace. And yes, they've been out for a date and no, the subject is not for open discussion. By the way, her name is "A ... a", short for Alicia.

In Kioue's case, he would claim that the subject of a girl with the dripping rouge marks and orange polka dots entitled, Keputusan (Decision), is nothing but a show of his artistic skills. But sotto voce, he reveals that the inspiration had been gleaned from his 'friends' list on MySpace and the simple explanation was, "I like her face". Full stop.

Still it is anybody's guess that these two young self-taught artists, both who are obviously in the prime of their lives, are on the lookout for someone special.

But being the professional businessmen that they are, both are keen to expound the technical workings of presenting graffiti on canvas rather than to dwell on dating details.

Samurai Geisha by Tha-B

And lest you, the reader, receive the wrong impression, the duo moves in with the story behind their latest collection.

Firstly, the choice of the female form was made for the feminine appeal and for the challenge it posed.

"It is not easy to make a picture of a woman look beautiful. While you may argue that it is the same with the male form, I'd suppose that as long as the picture turns out, the audience will still consider it as okay. The same cannot be said for the female form," offers Kioue.

What of the disturbing expressions? Samurai Geisha by Tha-B and Menjerit by Kioue are cases in point.

"Samurai Geisha is symbolic of the complex female character. She sheds tears but laughs at the same time. She looks fierce on the outside but deep within, one can sense tenderness. It is my depiction of what a brave, strong woman should be like," says Tha-B.

Meanwhile, Kioue maintains that Menjerit has nothing to do with angst but a show of the finer points of graffiti art.

"Menjerit is a study on strokes which has leanings towards the realist side. Unlike my other works which has mainly featured throw ups on concrete walls, Menjerit has been a challenge of my skills where technique is concerned," says Kioue.

For a behind-the-scene glimpse, Kioue reveals that he had to do a 'rehearsal' run on a smaller canvas before working on the bigger picture simply because there is little room for mistakes.

"Graffiti on canvas is unlike working on a concrete wall. If one makes too many sprays on canvas the surface becomes uneven," explains Kioue.

Keputusan by Kioue.

And herein, arises the crucial question of speed and drip control. Aerosol paint, unlike oil and water colour, can be very unforgiving.

Exert too much pressure on the nozzle and the excess spray will mark the unwanted areas with the unintended colour. In the event where the artist is besieged by a weakened forefinger, there will be a tell tale sign in the form of uneven colour intensity.

If he gets reckless, dripping happens and ruination is certain. And in addition to forefinger strength, a swift hand must follow or the lines will present unevenly.

And that is why, according to Kioue, though the spraying technique is faster than the conventional brush stroke, it is not necessarily easier. In short, confidence, precision and daring is the order of the day where graffiti art is concerned.

In Keputusan, the idea of the dripping carmine rouge on the female subject shows technique control on Kioue's part and the subtle shadings of the female's features provide a contrast where the audience can look to as reference points in graffiti techniques.

And contrary to public perception that graffiti is only about hip hop, Tha-B would spring a surprise with Kepulauan Melayu (A Malay Island), depicting a tongkang on a backdrop of a tranquil sea and a fishing village on water.

Mixed reactions garnered from critics have amounted to comments ranging from 'soulless' to 'What's he trying to do?'

"It was not easy to achieve the kind of feel with aerosol spray especially when it came to the expressing the texture of the fishing boat. Still, this is one of my favourite pieces because it connects me to my roots," says Tha-B of this not-very-grafitti-ish piece.

The idea of presenting graffiti on canvas was originally initiated by the Central Market management somewhere around October last year.

The creative process for this body of work begun somewhere in November around the same time these artists had met their muses.

And herein, maybe the reader would like to know that these artists had taken their fair ladies to an art exhibition for their first dates.

Kioue and Tha-B are behind The Super Sunday, a group of graffiti artists. To date, Tha-B and Kioue's work can be seen along the bank walls of the Klang river, car parks and the inside of public toilets. Visit The Super Sunday Concept Store at 4, Monorail Station Bukit Bintang, Jalan Sultan Ismail, 55100, Kuala Lumpur.