'More diversity needed in city art,' artist Cloakwork tells A+M post DBKL mural repaint

Malaysian graffiti and mural artist Cloakwork, has told A+M that he is open to formal collaborations with Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (KL City Hall), despite having hesitations to do so.  This comes after the council removed his artworks at two bus stops in Jalan Raja Chulan, and another in Jalan Sultan Azlan Shah.

According to a report by the Star, DBKL said in a statement that Cloakwork did not obtain any prior consent to paint on the city hall’s kiosks and bus stands.  The council said that while it appreciates efforts by the art community to beautify the city of Kuala Lumpur, murals or art pieces done in public spaces need to be approved by authorities first to ensure that they suit the city’s surroundings.  

DBKL also added that it welcomes discussions and recommendations from any parties who are looking to contribute to the city, but it has to be done through official channels.  A+M has reached out to DBKL for a statement.

Following the repainting, the artist, whose real name is Chern Loo, took to social media to call DBKL out for spending money on removing his art, instead of fixing the city’s potholes. Cloakwork claimed that he painted over the dilapidated structures, in attempts to use his skills to beautify and brighten up the area.

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Explaining his stance on going ahead with the paintings without prior approval to A+M, Cloakwork said that he believed approaching DBKL would have led to inter department referrals and "by the time the art would be approved, it would have been several years later". 

"I fully understand when a task is treated as merely a to-do item to complete, but there should be more critical thinking and far-sightedness involved in these matters, rather than resorting to quick and easy solutions," he further added. 

Loo is a popular artist choice for brands and businesses in Malaysia. He has collaborated with the likes of Vans, Foodpanda, the Employees Provident Fund, Family Mart, U Mobile, Levi’s, The Exchange TRX, Julie’s Biscuits and many more. His graffiti works can also be found in other parts of the world, including Japan, Taiwan, Australia and Mexico.  

Speaking about artwork in the city, he added that he would love to see more diversity within the arts scene in Kuala Lumpur. “In my opinion, Malaysia is still quite conservative when it comes to art and its mediums, often associating it with vandalism or protest,” Cloakwork said to A+M. 

“There is a preference for more traditional imagery, such as the KLCC towers, hibiscus flowers, orangutans, and the likes. While there’s nothing wrong with these themes, they feel outdated. People often prefer to see the beauty of KLCC with their own eyes rather than through a mural.”

DBKL on why the repainting was done

The repainting done over the artist’s murals was a part of its routine maintenance works, as DBKL announced that it was in the midst of upgrading 21 bus stops and kiosks throughout the capital as part of efforts to welcome visitors ahead of the ASEAN summit.  To date, 18 stops have been spruced up through repainting, structure repairs and roof replacements, DBKL said. It added that the stops were painted dark grey, which is the city hall’s standard colour. 

Meanwhile, according to a previous report by the Star last year, DBKL did in fact collaborate with artists to decorate its feeder pillars throughout the city. The project was initiated by the city hall’s project implementation department, with DBKL calling it a form of urban renewal that respects cultural heritage while embracing modernity.  

The council also said that the feeder pillar art installations transform mundane urban elements, potentially reducing vandalism and encouraging a sense of ownership and respect for public property.  

In July 2024, the Rakyat Post reported that Russian street artist Julia Volchkova’s mural titled “Goldsmith” at Jalan Panggong in Kuala Lumpur had been removed. The Goldsmith mural was Volchkova’s first piece of work in the city in 2016 and featured a bespectacled man hammering a nail. The mural had been listed on Lonely Planet and TimeOut as an attraction. 

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