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Montana Cans LOOKBOOK 2022

  • Text
  • Wwwmontanacanscom
  • Writers
  • Cloakwork
  • Sicoer
  • Spray
  • Edition
  • Artists
  • Mural
  • Cans
  • Montana
  • Graffiti
Montana Cans LOOKBOOK 2022 Edition #7 It's that time again to welcome the release of the Montana Cans Lookbook 2022 edition #7. There is no rewind button on life, making it all the more important to reflect on the year that was, and the things that happened during that period. The Montana-Cans Lookbook does just that and reflects on some of the highlights from the year prior. A moment to reflect on those things that may not have received as much shine as they deserved while being "in the moment". The 2021/2022 period was a particularly unique period not only for Montana Cans but for the world as a whole. Mankind arrived at what we hope is the end of the Coronavirus pandemic, there was turbulence in many regions, and the global population started to come to terms with the new financial challenges of life. But apart from increasing prices and challenging health/social situations, there were also many positive moments that brought innovation, fun, color, and creativity back into our lives. The Montana Cans collaborations continued with our many partners, artistic friends, and organizations within the creative world, including a vast array of amazing limited-edition cans, cool collectible products, and new innovations that make painting and creating even more enjoyable than before. Countless brave event organizers pushed forward with their dreams and their world-class events, with Montana Cans as partners on board regardless of the social and political hurdles put in place in the name of health and safety. And off the radar, the global graffiti community kept on creating and pushing our culture forward despite the challenges put in place around them. Regardless of where you were in 2021/2022, steel, bricks, canvas, furniture, and even clothing all got a special creative touch that Montana Cans was proud to be part of. With this in mind, we present to you the Montana-Cans Lookbook 2022 Edition #7 for your enjoyment. Available here digitally and in limited amounts in print at selected Montana Cans partners and resellers.

When I started with the

When I started with the tag Cloak, I had no idea what Clockwork Orange was. I was just looking up words beginning with “C” in the dictionary and came across the word “Cloak”. Which was cool because it means stealth, as in the act of graffiti. And the word “work” represents movement. Like when a plain concrete wall is gray during the day and overnight something colorful appears. It moves from one form to the other. MC Is “A Clockwork Orange” as significant in film or youth culture in your home town Kuala Lumpur or in Malaysia generally? Is there a connection between this and Malaysian graffiti culture? CW I think most of the youth undergo a rebellious stage, where some people move into graffiti, skating, music, etc. I don’t think there is a direct connection to the movie though. MC This brings us to a topic that is a big question mark for a lot of foreigners in graffiti culture, how is Malaysian Graffiti culture in general? Like when a plain concrete wall is gray during the day and overnight something colorful appears. It moves from one form to the other. ↑ A perfect balance of concept, character, graffiti, color, and the creative vision of CLOAKWORK. CW Malaysian graffiti culture is more towards piecing and less towards bombing. This is because most of the local people appreciate graffiti and it’s easy to get nice public walls, and we can spend long hours painting something nice. But of course, there are still groups that enjoy the adrenaline rush of bombing. For me, I enjoy both of them! There are definitely opportunities for writers to paint legally and connect to other writers. In Malaysia, we have a very peaceful graffiti community that supports each other. I grew up spending a lot of time joining graffiti events as a spectator, sitting down to observe and trying to understand how each writer slowly crafted their masterpiece. And also growing up in the city gave me opportunities to see more street pieces (tagging, throw-ups, stickers, etc ) done by both local and international writers. MC Is the historical origins of graffiti driven by different cultural drivers in Malaysia? For example, is the graffiti scene connected to punk culture or another form of social rebellion? And how did you get introduced to graffiti? 20 Black Artist Edition Cloakwork

← A fan of analog creation, pencil, and paper are always at arm’s reach. CW In Malaysia, its historical roots veer more towards the rebellion side of things where writers want to get recognition on the street by doing street-based graffiti-like tagging and other forms of bombing. I’ve always been attracted to images over texts. And growing up disliking study made me a rebellious kid. I like being bold and want people to see my art. I came across this wall of fame and notice one unique character during my studies in college. I told myself that I’m going to do something cool and attractive like that. MC Do you have a graffiti discipline that you feel is your strength? CW I always plan things out and sketch. Even scribbles help get you to where you want to be. I still can’t get away from the traditional way which is pen/pencil and paper. For me, both characters and letters play a big role in a piece. They both compliment each other to form a balanced piece. Of course, sometimes they can be separated too. If I had to choose between letters or characters, I’d choose both! Most of the time I’d like to plan things out before spraying. But occasionally I’d go for freestyle on the spot. MC Do you identify more as a street artist due to your strong connection to characters and figurative elements, or do you identify more as a writer tending toward classic style writing letters as important? CW Personally, I feel both of these are just labels. I think I’m more of a creator. MC As a 31-year-old as you are today, have you managed to support yourself through your graffiti practice, or do you have to do other forms of work to get by? CW I’m grateful that I still manage to support myself through my graffiti practice. Apart from that, I still have a clothing business named Against Lab with a few other partners. My dream is to try out painting in zero gravity space, or in a spaceship. MC For you, what’s the ideal time frame to paint in? Do you prefer big laborious murals with lots of planning? Or is a quick and simple piece with your friends preferable? CW The ideal time frame is around 4~6 hours, depending on other aspects too. I’d prefer both actually, sometimes intensive mural and sometimes chill pieces. Having Black Artist Edition Cloakwork 21

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