Never Too Small (Issue 5)

Mar 30
3 min read

Character Driven

On a humid afternoon in Kuala Lumpur, Cloakwork, is back home after a whirlwind “spraycation” across Europe. Over the course of a month, he painted murals in Berlin, Vienna, Paris, and Rotterdam, all while juggling commercial deadlines from Malaysia. Despite the jet lag, he’s buoyant and animated: much like the colourful characters that dance across his walls and canvases.

Nostalgia also finds a home in Chern’s personal space. The home he shares with his partner Zoe, a fellow illustrator, designer and tattoo artist (@zozogoods), is a cheerful, colour-filled retreat. Together, they’ve renovated a standard Malaysian apartment – “just a rectangle,” he jokes – into a warm, functional living and working space. Walls were removed to open up the kitchen and studio, and storage solutions were designed to fit the couple’s creative habits. “Interior design is an art too,” he says. “You need to know how to store things right.” The open storage they chose means everything is on display, but the effect is curated, not chaotic.

His go-to spot at home is the studio. Though it opens into the living room, a Persian rug in the studio space marks the boundary. Natural light pours in, and beyond his desk lies a view of lush greenery. White metal shelving lines one wall, festooned with vivid Japanese snack packets, retro toy cars, and characters like Bob the Builder, Mario, Miffy, Woody from Toy Story, and Cloaky – Chern’s own signature plastic collectible. A pinboard overflows with postcards and concert flyers, and one bay is dedicated to spray cans in every imaginable colour.

“Right now, my favourite item on the desk is a customised Bearbrick in a construction outfit,” he says. “It’s a small reminder that life is always a work in progress, and that I should trust the process.” He proudly shows off a postcard featuring original artwork by the New York graffiti legend Futura (Leonard McGurr), drawn for him during an event in Hong Kong. “It’s something I really treasure.”

When he’s not in the studio, he’s probably in the kitchen. Zoe is the main cook, and Chern serves as sous-chef. Since they both often work from home, meals provide a daily rhythm. They always make breakfast together: something simple like fried eggs or avocado on toast. They try to cook lunch and dinner together, too. Hainanese chicken rice is often on the menu.

Throughout their home are playful, sentimental objects: art prints, design books, sketch pads, and a giant pink rubber duck found at a Paris flea market that now lives in the bathroom, one of the few white spaces in the home. “We’re attracted to colour,” he grins. “Not brands. Just whatever makes us happy.”

Though the home feels like a retreat, it also fuels his creative energy. “Sometimes when I’m stuck or stressed about an idea not working, I take a break and look at the art around me, flip through magazines like Popeye from Japan, or play with our two cats. It helps!” Surprisingly, he doesn’t turn to music for motivation while he works. “Actually, I listen to lo-fi as a form of white noise to cut out distractions, or I don't listen to anything at all.”

Looking ahead, Chern dreams of one day meeting Banksy, “to see how he cooks up those stories, and how he manages to be so prolific but also anonymous.” He’s inspired by artists like Felipe Pantone, who combine art with architecture, citing his “Casa Axis” artist hub, a funky 1970s villa outside Valencia, Spain. Chern hopes to travel more and explore the visual cues that give places their unique character. “Every culture has nostalgic images that are recognisable, even if you didn’t grow up there,” he says. “They give you a sense of place.”

But no matter where his work takes him, Chern stays grounded by a simple belief: “Do good, and good will come your way.” It’s a sentiment that mirrors both his cheerful, curiosity-driven style and his own happy-go-lucky nature. After all, for Cloakwork, where there’s a wall, there’s a will.