If The Enemy Of My Enemy Is A Friend, What Is A Friend Of A Friend?

Constant. Complicated. And often considered less than lovers and family. We give friendship the respect it deserves with Zan Cheong.

All you need is love and love makes the world go round and L is for the way you look at me. There's no end to the sheer number of songs that exalt the power of romantic love. The two friends at the heart of Big Friendship discuss the awkwardness they felt when telling people they were going to see a therapist to save their friendship. Who does that? That was the unspoken thought in the ways that everyone reacted.


And it raises a great point. For something that is so foundational to our identities and lives, friendship doesn't get half as much weight and recognition as romance. If anything, friendship just might be an even greater demonstration of commitment β€” for what exactly drives you to stay in touch and connected to people, to whom you have no legal or financial obligations, or intentions to start a home or family with?

We dig into the glorious joy and mess that is friendship β€” from nurturing sources of comfort and wisdom to the toxic frenemies, from childhood friends who know you inside out to the ones who have drifted so far they feel like strangers.

Fall in love with the village of quirky oddballs in What You Can See From Here, bonded by friendship and terrified by an old grandma's prophecy that one of them is about to die. Journey with three best friends turned business partners as they create a hit video game and watch their success complicate things in Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow.

Sometimes, friends come and go, like in Love In The Big City β€” the coming-of-age tale of a queer man in Korea, and the ways he grows unmoored without the safe harbour his former best friend provides. If that's a little too bleak, wind it back to something sweet and wholesome with the earnest friendship between a talking garlic clove and carrot as they prepare to face a bloodthirsty vampire in Garlic And The Vampire.

1 of 3

About the illustration

An early sketch β€” for her art, Zan draws inspiration from dreams, nightmares and occasionally toys. Here, she wanted to depict a mashup of first impressions, where you're not certain if someone is a friend or an enemy.

About the artist

Bold colours. Fluid forms. Strange characters. Beautiful creatures. Join Zan Cheong (@zcxz) on a trip into her imaginarium of psychedelia and whimsical adventures – and let your mind expand, bend and flow on this multi-coloured journey she’s prepared for you. Experience the perfect juxtapose through Zan’s altered consciousness, with ideas that lend influence from her introspections on everyday life, and artworks that challenge both reality and the norm.

Each character reflecting a different frequency of Zan’s vibrant mind that seeks to be more than just admired – but experienced and felt. Where will it take you? What will you see? How will you feel? Find out with @zcxz now.

View Collections